REVISED: Love is Found in the Most unlikely of Places
by FliscentFiretail
Summary: Out to start creating a place for herself in the world, Kumori is suddenly thrown into a familiar but alien world. With the help of the Hokage, Gai and Kakashi will she be able to survive the ninja world? M for Adult content and future lemons. KAKASHIxOC
1. Chapter 1

**AN:Hey everyone!Ok, so i was looking over this story after catching up with all the naruto shippuden, and i couldn't help but feel that it was getting too OOC and Mary-Sue for my taste, and so **

**i am revising the entire thing.**

**I'm also going to put the old story on may page for those of you who like the old one. I might continue updates for that one but i highly doubt it. Well, with that said, please read and review. ^_^ i loooove reviews. They force me to write until i can't any longer. (Carpel tunnel. ) XP**

**Disclaimer:i don't own Naruto or... Kakashi. :*( huff. you get the picture. BUT... i do own this awesome all over the place REVISED plot! haha! **

**Ch. 1 To be lost and to be found; the question is which one is worse.**

I looked through my luggage for the fifth time to make sure I had everything, sighing as I checked things off. I was going to be entering the military today. I didn't like guns to be honest. yeah, i know that was random; They where too noisy for my taste. just another thing i was going to have to get over seeing as i was going to be working with them now.

_Hopefully i will be reimbursed when i get to the base_, i thought as i shoved another sock in my bag with a bit more force then needed. I had already been accepted into the Air Force.

I was not looking forward to this, but i did get into the branch i had wanted; the branch that was last to go into the fighting if it came to that. I was lazy at most, but the Air Force looked relatively fun, and i had already gone to JROTC. That and i wanted to stay debt free, and still go to collage.

I would also be an instructor at the base giving Wado ryu lessons and an aviary technician. I was currently a fifth degree Black belt in Wado ryu as well as Jeet Kun do, among other martial art forms. But I still had to pay to practice with sensei. Man, what a drag. And to think I spent more time teaching than him.

"Well, looks like it's time to go," I murmured to my cat who I had in a traveling case. Anbu meowed back at me, expectancy written on his whiskery face. I sighed sadly, weight making my heart heavy as i looked at his little face. this was why i was so glum about having to go today. I was going to have to send my precious baby to stay with my good friend Shane until i got clearance from my commanding officer that i could bring my cat to where ever i had been stationed.

...

I sighed as the radio filled the car with pop music, the window down, letting the moist cool air wash over my face. The sky was misty and overcast, the late summer air starting to show signs of falls coming. I sighed, as I began to drive over a bridge. I hoped Anbu would be ok. Shane was a good guy, but he could be a bit absent minded at times. I looked down for a second to change the radio station. when i looked up there was someone in the road.

"Oh Shit!" i cried as i slammed on the breaks, jerking the steering wheel to the side. Bad move. The bridge was wet and i hydroplaned. I screamed when the front of my car broke through the railing on the bridge. Oh my gosh, i'm going to go over, i thought. my body seemed to move on it's own as this thought formed. Before i could comprehend it, i had opened my door and flung myself as hard as i could out of the vehicle. The water rushed toward me as the air seemed to scream as i fell. Splat! I hit the surface hard. there was pain in arm and in my ankle as i fought to the surface, coughing and sputtering. i heard someone yelling as i fought against the water with growing desperation. I was wearing sweats and a camisole, and the pants where dragging me down. they where collecting too much water. i would drown if i didn't get them of. I took a deep breath as i went under water for a moment, slipping the heavy sweats off. I broke the surface of the easily this time and shook water from my eye. I froze. there was a man standing on the water right in front of me.

"anata ha daijixyoubu desu ka, onna?" He said as i stared at him in complete shock. He had horrific cuts across his face, was wearing a big black trench coat and had a bandanna wrapped around his head. there was also an emblem on the metal plate that was on his bandanna. it looked like some kind of odd swirly leaf that i had seen before, but i couldn't tell from where. what the hell? he was speaking in japanese to boot.

He frowned as i gaped at him like an idiot, starting to look a bit irritable.

"douyou ni? anata ni kotaeru tsumor ha nai desu ka?"He barked, his arms now crossing his chest making him look even scarier. i flinched and slowly began to swim away from him toward the shore, trying to figure out a way to get away from him. When i looked back at him his eyes where narrowed, the look on his face clear. _I know exactly what you're planning missy, and it won't work._ i squeaked and dove under water, swimming as fast as i could toward the shore. when i resurfaced i was a good twenty feet away and only another twenty feet from the shore. I squeaked when i saw him running at me quickly and dove again, this time going at an angle so he would be less likely to be where i resurfaced. when i reached the shallow end i was sure he could see me under water so i burst through the surface, struggling to get to shore. a firm hand gripped my upper arm. i looked up in alarm. this guy was fast.

"anata ha dare desu ka! kotae te kudasai!" He barked, his tone commanding.

"Just leave me alone! go away! shoo! Go back to japan or where ever the hell you're from and leave me alone!" i snapped going from scared to angry in about three seconds. I should have been in the Marines for my temper. He blinked in surprise his face one of confusion.

"oh, can you not speak English?" demanded, my tone sarcastic as i placed my fists on my hips. "Oh, well now you know how i feel buddy! how's it feel to get barked at by someone in another language. I just had to jump out of car that's going off a freaking bridge! Now i'm going to miss my flight and my car is gone! the last thing i need is more shit from you!" i snapped before continuing my rant, albeit a bit more quietly, as i muttered to myself. I was a very vocal person. "I can't believe this. The dude walks on water. How is that possible? last time i checked, only ninjas or that jesus dude could do that." I murmured.

"But ninjas don't exist in real life. And you're not Jesus!" I yelled in exasperation. It was at that moment that i felt his fingers flex, making me look at him. He was frowning and studying me carefully.

"What? It's not like i can give you a good answer, even if you did yell at me again. I can only speak four languages, and japanese can't count because i only know about twenty words and phrases, like 'hurry', 'shut up' and all the curse words. like 'baka.'" i grinned when he frowned at the word that was japanese for idiot.

"I know a few more rude words," i said, my tone that of an offer. the guy then gave a grin managing to look dangerous and a little good-natured at the same time.

"Oh, that's ok. i don't believe you need to prove your vocabulary; at least not to me." he said with a heavy accent. my eyes widened, my expression mildly surprised and slightly pleased.

"You can speak english! awesome! now that you can understand what i'm saying; Let. Me Go." i said, my expression deadpan. I was waist deep in the water and he was crouched next to me holding my arm. Needless to say i was starting to get cold. I frowned at the water. It should have been a lot warmer; it was only the beginning of autumn.

"So you can run away? i think not." he said as he lifted me by my arm out of the water making me shriek.

"Dude, i'm not decent! i'm only wearing a cami and panties for crying out load! what are you some kind of kidnapper? A pervert?! I know Wado ryu, jeet kun do, and several other martial arts, so don't test me, let me go!" i demanded, my voice growing more and more in volume and pitch as he began to walk to the shore. when we reached dry land i preparied myself to kick him in the nads; instead i caught sight of the trees and land around me. i froze and stopped struggling, making my captor pause to frown at me.

"This isn't right." i whispered as i examined the trees. there was something alien about them. I had never seen trees like this. Or shrubs for that matter. In fact the one in front of me looked really odd. it was gnarled and the bark was black and smooth. so smooth. fascinated i reach out and touch it just as my captor tried to stop me.

"No-!" whoosh! the tree seemed to spring to life, roots shooting from the ground. i shrieked as one wrapped around my ankle. in a flash my captor pulled out a short blade and sliced the roots off. he then yanked me under his am and leaped away from the plant, a good twenty feet before landing on to of the water.

"What the hell are you? and why do you have a knife?" i shrieked as he shot me a frown before returning his attention back to the plant before us.

"What is that thing? and where am i?" i asked, my tone awed and horrified. My captor shot me a deeper frown, this one no longer laced with irritation. Suddenly roots shot out from the water. I yelped when we leaped clear of the root, and gripped my captor's trench coat as best i could from my place tucked under his arm. My captor sent a knife with a tag on it at the plant that exploded. this was too much. I fainted before we could even land again.

...

"anata ha daijixyoubu desu ka, Ibiki- san?" came someone's voice from the fog that filled me head. my head felt really weird like it had been gone through; i was remembering things that i had forgotten years ago, and old memories where sweeping past, leaving me disorientated and confused.

"kono you ni shinjiru tsumori ha nai desu," said a familiar man's voice. suddenly memories of the car crash and the weird guy where flashing in my head an my eyes shot open, only to stare into my captors eyes, his expression unfathomable.

"Nani?" asked the masked man beside my captor. my captor's eyebrows pulled together in a frown as he examined me.

" kanojixyo ha kono sekai kara de ha nai," he said. the masked man beside him stiffened in shock.

"NANI?! anata ha watashi ni jixyoudan wo motte iru!" the guy cried, looking really worked up about something, making me start to fidget nervously.

"What are you two saying?" i asked, not sure i wanted to know. My captor was silent for a moment before speaking.

"I was asked if i was alright, and i told him that he wasn't going to believe what i just found. He asked me 'what,' and i told him that you are not from this world." he said. I cringed as another wave of memories flashed past and grimaced.

"Did you go through my head or something to find all that out?" i asked jokingly. when he nodded, his expression serious, my jaw dropped and i stared at him like an idiot again.

"you went through my head?! how?" after a second of outrage and anger, my curiosity got to me and i began to eagerly question my scar faced captor.

"... can you teach me? can you do more cool stuff?" i asked. he frowned at me.

"You want to learn?" he asked looking serious. I nodded slowly, completely serious.

"Then learn our language first. Then i will teach you." i frowned at him, my lips pursed.

"Do you promise on... your honor?" i asked, holding out my hand. I had heard that the japanese where real big on the whole honor thing. he actually smile this time. It was a bit scary with the scars but he managed to make it charming in a rugged sort of way.

"Alright. i promise." i couldn't help but smile at him. I leaned back against the tree to my back and looked around my captor at the forest and the team of men behind him, going this way and that as they set up a camp, all of them either wearing animal masks with grey vests and black pants, or all black outfits.

"what's your name?" my captor asked suddenly distracting me from the working team of men.

"Uh, you didn't get that from my memories?" i asked him. he shook his head and i shrugged.

"I changed it when i was fifteen for some reason. I can't really remember why. I got amnesia right afterwards." with that i held out my hand with a slight grin.

"The name's Kumori Kenpatsu." my captor smirked as he took the offered and and hesitantly shook it making me snicker. so he didn't know how to shake hands.

"Funny name for someone who doesn't speak our language. Are all names like that where you come from?" he asked making me scold him.

"No. i changed it remember." at this i sighed irritably. "In fact i think i could speak Japanese fairly well until i got Amnesia." i frowned feeling glum.

"well, wasn't there anyone you could ask? Any family or such that would have known?" he asked. I grimaced again and shot him an irritable look.

"They all died in... the car crash that i got my amnesia from." I grumbled, hoping he didn't notice my lie. Before he could ask for detail as his face suggested he would, i launched a counter strike.

"what about you? What's your name?" i asked. the guy shook his head and chuckled to himself.

"Morino Ibiki." he said. i tilted my head to the side as i thought over it.

"That man earlier said Ibiki-san. what does that mean?"

"I'm not positive, but in your language i believe it means the same as Mr. or Ms." I nodded.

"Well, nice to meet you Ibiki," i said holding out my hand again. His eyebrow rose.

"its Ibiki-san to you," he said, trying to correct me. I grinned, enjoying teasing him.

"I think i like Ibiki better. Besides where i come from, saying mister and miss every time is rather formal. even people who don't know each other very well will call each other by their first name. His face darkened to a frightening mask but the twinkle in his eye suggested that he wasn't as mad as he was pretending to be. He opened his mouth to say something but a sudden pounding pain fill my head, making me shriek in pain. It felt like my head was being ripped apart.

"What did you do to me?!" i managed to choke out. The shocked and concerned look on Ibiki's face told me that he didn't know. after another few second of blinding pain my eyes rolled up in my head and i fainted.

...

The first few things I was aware of as I began to regain consciousness once more, was the strong smell of antiseptic, the feel of course sheets and the muffled sound of people moving down the hall. I groaned as I sat up. My mouth felt kind of dry and as my eyes opened, I found myself staring at a white ceiling.

I lay back once more and closed my eyes as I thought, my mind working at an alarming speed considering I had just regain consciousness once more. I frowned; that was odd. I mean, really really odd, for me. usually when i first got up i needed a good strong coffee to get my brain working and all the little neurons firing correctly.

_I wonder where Ibiki is,_ i thought as i massaged my temples._ and I wonder what that pain had been? it hurt like a bitch though._ I frowned as i looked around to take in my surroundings. I was in a sterile hospital room lying in a small bed, dressed in coarse hospital cloths. I looked around and found that I was alone.

_i guess after i passed out, they took me to a hospital to see what was wrong. it looks a lot like the ones they have back home, anyways. I wonder where i am though. Definitely not in america,_ i thought to myself. With a huff i sat up. i could see some clothing of mine in a chair so maybe my luggage had showed up in the lake i had come out of. If that was the case i needed to see Ibiki. I got out of my bed and made my way over to the chair in front of my bed against the wall where some of my cloths sat folded and waiting for me. they where dry and clean so maybe my luggage hadn't gotten wet. the cases where supposed to be water proof, but that usually didn't mean jack shit unless it was the good stuff. maybe it hadn't been such a bad buy after all.

A fresh bra sat under my shirt and I couldn't help but sigh with relief at the welcome sight. Making sure the door to my room was shut, with a chair under the nob I pulled the hospital gown off and let it flow to the ground, leaving me in my under wear. I then unclasped my bra and let it fall as a gentle breeze swept through the room. I turned just in time to see a man wearing one of those animal masks and grey vests leap in through the window. He froze as he stared at me in my barely covered state.

"AAAAAEEIIIIIIIIHHHH!" I screamed, covering my breasts with an arm while I grabbed my clothes off the chair, trying to use them to hide my body. He seemed rooted on the spot. I would have bet ten bucks that his jaw dropped and his eyes bugging out of his head. I felt furry begin to well up in me when blood from a nose bleed began to leak out from under his mask to drip down and stain the front of his vest with red.

"YOU PERVERT! GET OUT!" I screamed as I grabbed the vase on the table next to the chair had originally been sitting. With that I sent it hurtling at his head. It shattered along with his mask on contact but he didn't even seem to notice, and it let me see his face. He had black hair in a bowl cut and huge bushy brows with defined cheek bones. As i had thought his eyes where bugging and his mouth hung open in shock and his eyes where rooted on my chest. I shuddered and grabbed the chair next, sending it flying at him, shrieking insults all the while. He dodged it easily, but because I had thrown it so hard, I lost my grip on my cloths and once more I found myself revealed. He then fainted, his face a brilliant red, his nose gushing blood and a little smile on his lips. Cursing I moved to kicked the unconscious guy out of my room before another guy with an animal mask and a grey vest leaped in through the window and froze, staring at me. I shrieked and yanked the hospital shirt back on beet red and furious.

"Get out, you fucking pervert, and take your friend with you!" i demanded. the man that had just entered was quiet for a moment and my temper flared.

"Can't you hear me old guy!" i demanded. The guy had white hair and i couldn't see his face so i could only assume that he was either prematurely white, or was an old dude.

"I'm not old." he finally said, his English heavily accented, reminding me that not everyone could speak English here; reminding me that i was all alone in a foreign world and that no one would notice if anything ever happened to me. after all, i didn't belong here. i blinked and my anger drained, leaving me feeling glum and lonely.

"Did he... do anything?" asked the masked man with white hair. I blushed feeling alone and vulnerable. even if he had, who would have cared or done anything about it?

"He saw me when i was changing, just like you" i murmured, "And he fainted." my face was probably blazing red. I was so embarrassed i just wanted these odd masked men gone.

"Just leave me alone," i murmured sinking to the ground behind my bed, feeling really depressed. when he moved toward me i spoke.

"Please." i whispered, and he stopped. I laid my head in my knees and wrapped my arms around myself, trying to get a grip on my turbulent emotions; the fear, the anger, the frustration.

I had no idea where i was or if i was ever going to be able to get home again. I was never going to see my little Anbu again or- i shook my head to chase away my thoughts as i bit my lip. No, i was not going to start crying, i was not going to break down. that wouldn't solve anything. I bit my lip till warm blood coated my tongue and i released it with a sigh. I hadn't bitten through it. only enough to draw blood. I quickly wiped away the blood and I looked around when i realized how quiet it had gotten to find both the men from earlier gone. now would be a good time to get dressed properly.

I was almost done dressing; i fact i just had my shirt left to go and i would be completely clothed. I had just finished pulling on said shirt when the door to my room opened and in barged Ibiki, making me jump in shock.

"Gah!" I cried before scolding him. "Doesn't anyone ever knock around here? Sheesh! The next man that walks in on me without knocking is going to get sucker-punched in the balls!" I snapped my face a brilliant red, my tone laced with irritation. Ibiki frowned at me. I looked away when his gaze went to my damaged lip.

"Something the matter?" he asked, his tone gruff. I looked down shifting from foot to foot.

"Yeah, I barely finished putting my shirt on and you burst into my room." i muttered. he raised an eyebrow at my irritable but more subdued to tone.

"... What happened?" he asked moving closer. I blushed.

"One of the masked guys barged in on me changing... he fainted after a moment." i shook my head in irritation.

"Annoying perverts," i grumbled. Ibiki chuckled, causing me to shoot him a scathing glare.

"And who was it?" he asked, his voice teasing. Despite my irritation, i still managed to crack a reluctant smile at his teasing words.

"Some guy with a a bowl hair cut, bushy eyebrows and black hair." i said, and ibiki stopped chuckling to frown at me.

"How do you know what he looks like," he demanded. I shrugged.

"His mask broke when i threw a vase at him," i said. After a second Ibiki began to roar in laughter. I blushed and stomped my foot, growing more out raged with ever laugh he took.

"Whats so fuckin' funny about this huh?!" i demanded. Ibiki's laughter died down to a chuckle as he pat my head in a comforting manner.

"The idea that Gai-san fainted at the sight of you undressed; if nothing it is comical. Well, if anything, you must be breathtakingly beautiful for you to make him loose his cool like that. He has seen plenty of women in his time, both seductress and beauties alike and that has never been a problem for him." I was sure my face was fire hydrant red as i fidgeted and squirmed.

"your just trying to flatter me into silence," i grumbled as Ibiki chuckled again. "So, how long have I been in here?" I asked wanting to change the topic. the huge guy shrugged as he sat on the end of my bed, his eyes flickering to my damaged lip then away. Figures he wouldn't ask.

"Oh, not long. Just six days." i frowned. wow, that was longer then i had expected. i pouted at the thought before wincing at the dull throb coming from my lower lip. There was something that was bugging me since i had gotten here that i wanted to as Ibiki while i had the chance.

"How come you can speak English? I'm guessing its not a common language here," i said. Ibiki's brow furrowed and his appearance grew foreboding and intimidating.

"It was a code used by the Anbu black ops during the third great ninja war. Originally the language was discover ten years prior to the war but never taught or used. It was kept under s-ranked clearance in case we would ever need it. All the materials that surfaced containing your language, came from the lake you came out of. That is why we have Anbu patrolling that area." i frowned. What where 'Anbu?' And why did they have the same name as my cat? i was guessing that he was referring to the masked men in the grey vests though. I shook my head as Ibiki continued,"I just happened to be making my monthly check in at the outpost when you surface." After a moment Ibiki leaned forward his hand going to the top if my head to prod my hair experimentally with his index finger.

"As i expected," he murmured now watching me intently. I frowned at him.

"What are you doing?" i asked, feeling slightly irritated and a bit nervous. the intense expression he had on his face was making me uneasy.

"Your hair is turning purple..." he said quietly.

"What?!" i demanded, quickly grabbing a strand to see. I frowned when deep chestnut brown met my gaze.

"What are you-" the words died in my mouth as the strand started turning a beautiful deep aubergine purple. I looked at him in shock, struck dumb. I bit my lips again, starting to freak out.

"what did you mean when you said, 'as expected?'" i asked, pausing suddenly as i comprehended that bit of knowledge. I was guessing that whatever items had appeared here before, had undergone a change as i was currently doing, but i needed to confirm my suspicion first.

"Everything that has come out of that lake has gained extraordinary properties, and undergone some form of metamorphosis. i imagine you will as well, very soon." I cracked a nervous grin.

"Is that why head of an elite branch, i'm guessing Anbu, seeing as you can speak english and it was only taught to them, is visiting little ole me?" i asked, my tone joking, "To see what happens when the transformation takes place?" Ibiki chuckled.

"I can see your intelligence is being amplified." he said. i grinned before cringing as a shape pain shot through my body before leaving.

"Your eyes are different now as well." he said. As he said this i noticed my sight and sense of smell and hearing increase making me wrinkle my nose and cover my ears as i squinted at Ibiki.

"I feel like I've just gotten a concussion; all my senses... they're- ugh!" i groaned. growing unsteady as i cringed at the onslaught of new things. Ibiki caught me and called for a nurse, making me flinch as my body began to tremble. little did i know that this was only the beginning.

...

-san - honorific for mr. or ms.

Hey are you alright? -anata ha daijixyoubu desu ka

woman - onna

who are you! Answer me! -anata ha dare desu ka! kotae te kudasai!

you're not going to believe this. -kono you ni shinjiru tsumori ha nai desu

She's not from this world. -kanojixyo ha kono sekai kara de ha nai

What -Nani

you've got to be kidding me! -anata ha watashi ni jixyoudan wo motte iru!

**...**

**So i hope you like the new revised chapter. ^_^ please read and comment**

**Duh duh duh! lol, a cliff hanger! thanks for reading. Please Reveiw.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:Hey everyone! thanks for all the reviews i got in such a short amount of time. :) your feedback is what helps keep my stories alive. Anyway, schools crazy or else i would have updated sooner. I will be revising all chapters, so please bear with me.**

**Disclaimer:i don't own Naruto or... Kakashi. *Sob* you get the picture. BUT... i do own this awesome all over the place plot! ...And Kumori. haha!**

**...**

I fidgeted as i sat in the Hokage's office, waiting for him to return. The guy with white hair and animal mask that had barged in on me from earlier was there to be my translator seeing as i had only picked up a few basics in the past three weeks, and couldn't speak Japanese fluently yet. I had passed all evaluations and security measures to meet with the Hokage to talk about my future; not that i was so sure what that meant.

"Your hair is different." i jumped as the white haired man spoke suddenly, breaking the silence of the room.

"Yes," i responded, fiddling with my much longer strait purple locks in distaste. I missed the way my hair used to look. the locks where rather strait now, opposed to the natural brown curl i originally had.

"Your eyes too." he murmured. Now that i didn't see him as a threat, i found his voice and scent relaxing. His voice was smooth and composed, with strength underlying his mellow tones. He smelled of trees and musk; rich and heady with the slight smell of- i wrinkled my nose slightly- dog.

"They're teal now," i murmured forcing myself to answer back. I turned in my seat to face him directly examining him with interest.

"How many dogs do you have?" i asked, feeling curious. for a moment i wished he didn't have his mask on so i could see his reaction. i wondered if he would be shocked if i guessed right.

"Eight," he said, still sounding casual. i nodded more to myself then anyone.

"Do you like dogs?" he asked. i shrugged.

"I don't mind them. According to my uncle i used to be terrified of them when i was younger until i got amnesia." i then snorted in amusement.

"How many times in a person's life would you think that they get amnesia? To think I've gotten it twice," i then gave a light rueful chuckle, though my expression was grim.

"So you're not afraid anymore?" he asked sounding slightly curious. i smiled as i shook my head.

"As long as my memory never comes back, i should be ok around them." my masked companion was silent for a moment before speaking.

"And what about them? what would be in those memories?" i looked the man in the eye or at least where his eyes where supposed to be, before giving the tinies grim smile.

"I was attacked and mauled by a pack of dogs when i was seven. They nearly killed me. Any who..." i said, leaving the subject open to be changed. hopefully my companion would take the hint.

"You don't looked mauled," the white haired man pointed out, gesturing to my smooth bare arms and flawless feature. I cracked a sarcastic grin.

"I think i like you a lot better now," i said cheerily.

"...why?"

"Because if you had ogling me like your friend, you would have seen extensive scaring. Any way, those are all gone now," i said, feeling pleased that he hadn't seen my scars. I may have disliked my overall change other than a few things, but i did not miss my scars.

"What do you mean 'they are gone?' the scars?" he asked. i nodded.

"My hair wasn't the only think that... changed," i said, feeling a little uncomfortable about the current subject. just then the doors to the Hokage's office opened to admit an older looking gentleman wearing white robes with a wide brim hat.

"Ah, hello Kumori-san. How are you today?" asked the older man in Japanese as he took his seat behind the table.

"Al-alright," i responded hesitantly in Japanese. The Hokage grinned as me, his eyes pleased.

"Good you've... trying... language," was all i caught from his words. I looked to my translator and he began with out missing a beat.

"Good, you've been trying to learn our language." i nodded.

"yes," i said in Japanese. "It is... difficult, but i... trying," i said blushing as i did my best. the Hokage nodded in a pleased manner as he started sorting through the paperwork on his desk.

"Well, Kumori-san..."said the Hokage as my translator spoke in my ear.

"today we will be taking about your options regarding your future. The council does not believe that you should be able to leave the village ever but i believe under the right circumstances you should be able to." I frowned and spoke to my translator.

"under what circumstances do you speak of?" he asked for me.

"... ninja ... ," said the Hokage.

"Becoming a ninja for the village Hidden in the Leaves, or Konoha, in our language." said my translator. My eyebrows rose before they sank into a frown as i thought. My translator started speaking again.

"You are too old to go to the academy. I heard that you learn at an impressive rate and have a very high IQ, though." i made a displeased face at the mention of this, as the hokage continued speaking. "i think that a personal teacher should be able to bring you up to Genin level in no time." i shot my translator a questioning look and he started to speak not missing a beat.

"Genin is the lowest rank of ninja. If you pass the academy test, then you will be given a sensei who will perform a final test. if you pass you will become a Genin." i nodded.

"What will i learn as a ninja?" i asked. After a second the Hokage started speaking, seeing as he guessed what i had asked and my translator began speaking.

"You will learn ninjutsu , taijutsu which is as you call 'martial arts,' and genjustsu the art of illusion. you will also learn how to use kunai knives, shuriken and katana, among other weapons if you so choose." i nodded thoughtfully before speaking.

"Hey, what are shu-shuriken and kunai?" i asked, my words hesitant as i tried to say them correctly.

"These," my translator said as he reached into a pouch and pulled out throwing stars and throwing blades.

"Oh, i know how to use these," i said feeling slightly more cheerful as i poked a kunai.

"...you do?" asked my translator sounding slightly surprised.

"Yeah, but i was never really good at getting them to stick in the practice board," i grumbled.

"But i'm real good with these," i said, pointing to the throwing stars, "and that." i said, pointing to the sword my translator had strapped to his back.

"You called it a... ka-katana?" i asked, gesturing to the sword. My translator nodded. i hummed in understanding.

"I also know martial arts, though it might be different form the kind you have here." I said as my translator began to speak in rapid Japanese for the Hokage so he could understand.

"Well, this is a bit of a surprise. the Intelligence unit mentioned that you had some fighting training, but they never said to this extent." my translator said. I blushed looking a bit embarrassed.

"I have had training, but i don't have a lot of experience actually using it in live combat," i said, my tone disgruntled and slightly uncomfortable. "It was always in a dojo with my classmates or against my sensei." i said. "And none of us where actually trying to seriously harm each other. it was to get us used to blocking and sending controlled punches and kicks. and i have never actually used a blade on anyone before," i said, feeling slightly queasy.

"I'm not sure i should become a ninja," i said quietly, my face grave."I came from a relatively peaceful society." and to tell the truth, i wasn't sure if i wanted to put my life on the line for every mission. my job in the air force would have been non-combat because i had made sure it was that kind of job before i took it. I probably wasn't cut out to be a ninja anyway.

"Then why did you train so much? I have been told you know at least three martial arts, and the use of weaponry," asked my translator after the Hokage spoke.

"It was for peace of mind that if anyone tried to hurt me or my loved ones that i would have a fighting chance. che! some good that did me," i said, muttering the last bit irritably to myself under my breath before continuing. "If they had a gun, that would have been another story but, at least i would be able to fight off a mugger with a knife," i said quietly.

"Whats a gun?" asked my translator.

" a weapon that shoots a small piece of metal at great speeds. the metal pierces the body and creates small but deep wounds, that cause the person shot to usually bleed to death unless they are not hit in a vital area and are able to receive immediate medical attention. Sometimes the metal will pass all the way through the body or explode on impact leaving the person very unlikely to survive." My translator fell silent appearing to have frozen. When i shot him a quizzing look he let out a breath.

"That sound very dangerous; and nasty." he said before translating for the Hokage; he looked surprised and slightly grave at the description of the weapon i mentioned. he frowned thinking for a good minute as we sat in silence before speaking.

"The choice is yours as to if you want to have a career as a ninja, but you still need the training. you are a rarity and need to be able to protect yourself from foreign parties that might try to steal you from the village. i will assign you to tag along with a team for your training, and so you can see for yourself what a mission is like. that way you will be able to make an informed choice," the white haired man translated for the Hokage. "You can also turn down missions, you know," said my translator, this time on his own. "If you don't like them."

"You can?" i asked. My translator nodded, before posing my question to the Hokage. the older man grinned and nodded.

"Yes, Kumori-san. it is your choice." said the Hokage in Japanese i pursed my lips as i thought before speaking.

"I'll think on this if that is alright," I said. The Hokage and my translator nodded before the Hokage started speaking again.

"Alright. first thing first we need to test you to see how well you can fight, and see how much work we've got, on our hands," said my translator for the Hokage.

"Umm," i said giving my translator a questioning look.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Could i be taught chakra control first?" my translator paused before posing the question to the Hokage who looked surprised.

"You know about chakra?" asked my translator. i shook my head.

"Not really but there is this odd energy that i have felt since i woke up after my... transformation," i cringed slightly at the unpleasant memory, "and i heard one of my guards complaining that i needed to learn chakra control, so i think he was talking about this... energy." i said before a hesitant frown marred my features.

"I think for everyone's safety, i need to learn it as soon as possible," i muttered to myself as i thought.

"Why?" asked my translator making me blink in surprise. i had been speaking so softly, he shouldn't have been able to hear. what on earth... did he have super hearing or something?

"Hmm? oh, sorry. its nothing," i said quickly. I squirmed when i realized that neither the Hokage not my translator was continuing the conversation and where both staring at me the expression on the Hokage's face clear. _What are you not telling me Missy i'll get it out of you the easy way or the hard way..._

"Ok! ok," i exclaimed caving under their looks and the silence. i heaved a sighed of irritation and rubbed the back of my head, my other hand going to rest on my thigh.

"Ever since i changed, weird stuff has been happening around me when i get angry or frustrated. i think it's just best that i learn how to control my chakra as soon as possible," i said my hidden anxieties finally showing through as i twitch and fidgeted, my nee bouncing with suppressed energy.

"What sort of weird stuff?" asked my translator.

"...to tell the truth, i'm not really sure what keeps happening," i muttered, "There was this one time, the Anbu put me in a holding cell and didn't feed me for a few days. then they put some food right outside my cell." i made a disgusted sound. "I remember reaching for it as hard as i could through the bottom slot of the door, but they had made sure to put it a foot out of my reach and i hadn't seen anyone for days. Well after a while i got really upset and punched the door. I punched a hole through it, and it was metal! that's crazy! I tried doing it again, but nearly broke my hand. I ended up going into a rage and kicked the door this time and it was blasted into the other wall. thankfully it flew right over the food so i was able to get something to eat before going to yell at Ibiki." The Hokage looked thoughtful as the translator spoke to him quietly in Japanese.

"Anything else?" asked the masked man after the Hokage had spoken.

"Yeah. I was having my 'time of the month' and i got really mad at one of the Anbu guys. He had my chocolate and my pain killers and was teasing me saying something in Japanese. I threw out my arm without thinking like i was reaching for the chocolate and yanked my arm back and the chocolate and aspirin was yanked out of his hands. i caught it before it was able to hit the ground before taking off to go yell at Ibiki again." i made an annoyed sound. "Ugh. And this other time..." i trailed out with a sigh. "Well, all i know is that when they put me into the illusion, the outpost by the lake was fine, and when let me out of the illusion the outpost was demolished, and there where..." I trailed off cringing as the memory of bloodied and fallen Anbu all around me came to mind. No one had been killed but still. after my translator finished speaking. the Hokage frowned and my translator spoke.

"He wants to know what was the illusion about." i stopped fidgeting.

"They wanted to see what i would do reliving a... bad memory" I murmured. "I...well after they put me in the illusion i blanked out for a moment and when i came to, the outpost they had been keeping me when was in rubble. it was nice to be out of that stuffy place thought." i murmured the last bit to myself. i blinked in surprise when my translator chuckled. i blushed when i realized that he had been laughing at that last bit i said.

"Was this part of the testing stage?" asked my translator. i nodded. the ANBU had wanted to test me to see what my reactions to hunger, teasing and mind illusions among other things, and also to gleam information about my person, before they decided that i wouldn't be a threat to the village. Lord only knows why they decided to let me out of that place.

"Yeah. I think they said something about wanting to see what happened to me under stressful situations?" he nodded and translated everything for the Hokage. after a moment the Hokage spoke and my translator began to talk in my ear.

"He said that in three week's time you will be tested. that way you will have enough time to learn how to use and control chakra. he said your reports show that you actually have a very natural control over it, but what you really need to learn is conscious control, instead of the subconscious control that you have been using so far." i blinked in surprise before speaking.

"B-but the guy was complaining that i need more control," i said, confused. My translator spoke in my ear as the Hokage talked.

"your report says that while you where under the genjutsu, every kick and punch you delivered sent a blast of chakra flying in the direction of your strike and at times your movements where faster than could be seen. I don't think the guy realized that you hadn't figured out that you where under a genjutsu. i'm guessing that the man thought that you lost control, not that you where under the impression that there was actual danger. Your control is already above the norm when it comes to fighting, despite your undeveloped chakra circuits, but you will be trained properly, since you seem to have outburst like with the food incident and such." i nodded, before bowing to the older man.

"Thank you very much, Hokage-sama," i said with a small bow. with the the Hokage turned to my translator and said something. the white haired guy stiffened as spoke back in Japanese, sounding tense. the Hokage seemed like he was brushing him off and repeated what he said before adding something, putting a bit more emphasis of a word; some Kakashi something or what not. I could tell my translator was getting tenser with each passing moment, and i picked up the word for 'order,' 'woman' and 'train' in the mix. My eyebrows rose as understanding hit me.

"wait, is... he telling you to train me... because you can understand me?" i asked. my translator let out a minor huff.

"That's not all. He says he want you to stay with me at my place as well." at this my eyes bugged.

"What?! um, sorry; i'm a little confused, but aren't the Japanese supposed to be a very proper and mildly prudish group?" i asked, referring to the fact that my translator was a man and i was a woman, making our living arrangements possibly awkward in the future. At this he shook his head.

"we're not like that here; especially not the ninja, though the civilians are more reserved regarding... that." he said pointedly. After a moment i spoke.

"Can't i get my own place?" i asked, feeling a little exasperated. The white haired man asked the Hokage and the Hokage replied.

"He says that he doesn't think it wise for you to be living alone in a new city full of ninja while you can't even speak our language yet, and as for why he wants you living with me, he says its because there are no women who speak your language left from the third Great ninja war; that there where but two or three and they have all died. Ibiki-san, Gai and myself are the only ones who are left from Anbu that know how to speak it in the village. there are several others but they are out on missions most of the time and the Hokage doesn't feel that Ibiki would be a good host. That and He also said that he does not think that you want to be staying with Gai-san, the man that came into your room while you where dressing." when i stiffened in outrage at the idea of staying with the bushy brow creep, the Hokage spoke.

"Very well, from now on, you will be staying with Hatake Kakashi," translated the white haired man before he removed his mask. I blinked in surprise at his youthful face, or at least what i could see of it. he was wearing a black mask that connected to his shirt.

"Hey, you're not an old guy after all," i said cheerful despite my ill humor as i stood. "Maybe we should have a formal introduction," i suggested before holding out my hand.

"My name is Kenpatsu Kumori. Pleased to meet you," i said as he hesitantly took my hand.

"Hatake Kakashi," he said as i shook his hand and let it go.

"Is that your whole name or is that your first and last name?" i asked.

"First and last. And yours?" he asked.

"Same."

"So what should i call you?" he asked, looking a bit unsure though i couldn't be sure seeing as that blasted mask was in the way.

"Just Kumori. I'm not used to the whole honorifics* thing and i prefer being called by my name." he frown.

"That would be rude though." i sighed, having already heard this a thousand times.

"That just call me Kumori-chan. None of that -san crap. makes me feel old." i said, earning an eye smile from him.

"So, does that thing come off or are your hiding scary sharp teeth or something?" i asked jokingly as i gesturing to Kakashi's mask. Kakashi's eyes widened and he froze before he turned to look at the Hokage looking irritable.

"... told...!" was all i caught as Kakashi started speaking in rapid Japanese.

"Wait a second, i was just joking!" i cried before realization hit. "Wait, I was right?! you've got sharp teeth too?" i demanded. Kakashi let out an annoyed sigh as i move forward, my eyes gleaming._ i'll take that as a yes._

"I wanna see! I wanna see! i love pointy teeth and have always wanted some of my own." i said before sighing blissfully at the idea, off in lala land.

"And pointed ears," i cooed, "With sharp pointy nails, with striped face markings." Kakashi froze and looked at me funny.

"You actually... like that stuff?" he demanded. i nodded still cooing and squealing, before giving a long suffered sigh, my posture slumping in defeat.

"But hot guys like that don't actually exist," i cried giving a mock sob. Kakashi shook his head in exasperation before the Hokage spoke. He and Kakashi appeared to be having a conversation. After a bit, the Hokage gave him a scroll and a bag that clinked, making me thing it was money before we where dismissed.

...

It took us approximately eight minutes of running along roof tops to get to Kakashi's home. I got to ride piggy back, which i had to admit was run, but frightening.

"Oh ma gosh! scary!" i screamed as i buried my face in the nape of Kakashi's neck while he leaped through the air to land on a telephone pole. i heard him sigh, his grip on my thighs flexing slightly.

"If you keep that death grip on my neck up, we're more likely to fall," he said nonchalantly, making me loosen my grip immediately.

"How is the whole fly through the air thing possible?" i asked him in awe as he ran along the wire of the telephone pole. _Or this for that matter_, i thought.

"I mean, I saw this happen with Ibiki, but i never got a chance to ask him," I said. _Yeah you fainted, Wuss_, i thought with a mental cringe.

"Chakra control, and lots of practice and training," said Kakashi as he made one final leap, landing gracefully in front of an apartment door.

"seeing as you have a natural talent for that though, you should be able to do what i just did by the end of the week," he said as he set me down and opened the door.

"What?!" really?" i asked, a bit nervous but excited. Kakashi nodded before entering.

"Make yourself at home," he said, as he took off his flak jacket and dumped it unceremoniously into one of the chairs in the dining room that was right next to the door. I nodded and then he looked around before sighing.

"It's all pretty self-explanatory seeing as this place is so small. This is the dining room. That's the Kitchen." He said, pointing to everything in turn. "That's the living room. There's the bathroom and the bedroom." I nodded, taking in where everything was in the cluttered little apartment. He looked at me for a moment before speaking up.

"Hungry?" i looked outside the still open door to see that the sun was getting pretty close to the horizon, painting the unfamiliar city in deep hues, to where i could only see the building's silhouettes.

"Umm," I said, uncertain. Just then my stomach began to growl, making me blush. He nodded and headed into the kitchen. As pots and pans began to bang around I sat on the couch, not wanting to get in his way. Just then a pack of dogs came racing out of the bedroom, barking happily. I tried to control myself, to keep myself from screaming but then the last one, a gigantic black dog with a spiked collar came out.

"Holy frick!" i cried as the dogs came forward.

"Hey, who are you?" demanded a small pug in Japanese with a blue crest and a headband with the village crest on it. I had heard that question asked enough to know what it meant by now. I stared at him blankly before falling over laughing my laughs muffled by a couch pillow. i heard the dogs grumble in irritation at my reaction.

"Oih! Who ...you... woman?!" demanded the smaller dog as he hopped up in my lap, looking cross. I snorted.

"hey Kakashi, nice genjutsu, but dogs don't talk," i said loud enough for him to hear in the kitchen. all noise ceased and he walked into the living room, wearing an apron. I had to cough to stifle my giggle. i couldn't take him seriously when he was wearing that thing.

"Oih, Kakashi ... woman... idiot..." the dog called. Kakashi said something and the dog asked him another question. the conversation was clear, though i couldn't tell what they where saying._ Hokage sent her to live with us. Oh, yeah. she can't speak our language._

"There aren't a genjutsu," he finally said, speaking to me in English. "These are the dogs i was talking about earlier," he said, before continuing.

"Allow me to introduce my Nikken, or ninja dogs. That's Pakkun, Bull, Urushi, Shiba, Bisuke, Akino, Ūhei, and Guruko." said Kakashi, pointing to each in turn. They all nodded their heads when mentioned and i cautiously nodded back in greeting, no longer grinning but examining them with interest now that i knew that they where real.

"How curious. Do all animals talk in this world?" i asked as i examined the little dog Pakkun that was still in my lap. Kakashi headed back to the kitchen speaking over his shoulder.

"No, not all of them. a lot do though, which is why they are used as summons."

"Summons?" i asked but when answer came i returned my attention to the creature in my lap. "Do they act like dogs?" i murmured to myself, before reaching out and rubbing one of Pakkun's ear. He started drooling and his eyes began to close in bliss before he sat up with and jerk and growled at me, snapping something in Japanese. I had to keep from snickering as i withdrew my hand. after a second i began to rub his little doggy chest in relaxing circles. Pakkun gave a whimper of pleasure and rolled over to expose his tummy to me which i rubbed as i was told. It wasn't until a good minute later that Kakashi came into the living room and froze. In an instant he was by my side and picking up Pakkun. I flinched at his speed as he spoke.

"That's not a very good idea, Kumori-chan," he murmured as Pakkun looked at him through glazed eyes unseeing eyes, his body limp and relaxed.

"He still has his pride," Kakashi murmured as a few of the other dogs snickered, while a few of the larger ones looked at me with wistful eyes, the message clear._ Me next! love me!_

"Oh, sorry," i said before gesturing to the rest of the dogs to come closer. the ones that had puppy eye bounced forward and immediately began demanding attention with the ones that had been snickering stayed back even though i saw the longing in their eyes.

"Now now, one at a time," i teased as i began scratching ears and rubbing tummies.

15 minutes later

Kakashi stuck his head around the corner and took in the scene before speaking, his voice barely high enough to be a whisper.

"Are they asleep?" i nodded and carefully began to extract myself from the pile of snoozing dogs.

"Care to help?" i asked as Kakashi learned against the door way to the dining room. His eyes twinkled darkly and i somehow got the impression that he wasn't going to. I rolled my eyes before taking one last step past the pile of drooling sleeping dogs and head into the bathroom to clean up.

"Geez," i grumbled, "now i know why they objected to me petting them," i said to myself. If i always turned to mush so easily at being pet, then i would have been embarrassed about that too. I heard a light chuckle form the kitchen and my eyes widened. wow, sometime i forgot that his hearing was really good.

"Kakashi?" I asked as entered the dining room, to see him begin to place the food on a plates.

"Yes Kumori-chan?"

"Do you want me to turn around so that you can eat?" i asked, starting to feel a bit awkward. Wait, i thought with a frown, why was there only one plate? I blinked when it dawned on me; He had already eaten.

"You're the guest. It would be rude of me to ask that of you." he said as he sat at the table with me, despite the fact he didn't have any food. Without any further a due he pulled out a orange book with a red propitiation symbol on the back. My eyebrows went up in surprise. I looked at the cover and frowned when i saw a guy chasing a woman wearing a red dress and my eye twitched slightly as i understood what the book was about; well i had an impression of what it was about for some reason. I didn't know why, but that book looked very familiar to me and i was under the impression that it was porn.

"Is that... smut and porn?" i asked. Kakashi blinked before looking at me book still in hand.

"well," he began carefully, "...yes, but it's also a really interesting story that has a comical plot." I leaned over to look at the page and cringed when i realized that it was written in Japanese.

"When i learn Japanese, will you read it to me?" i asked making him tense up. "O-out loud," he asked, staring to blush profusely. I grinned at him, my eyes gleaming wickedly.

"If you read to me, i'll read to you," i said before starting to eat my food, letting him mull over what i said.

"What do you mean, 'you'll read to me?.'" he asked, sounding uncertain frowning at me. i grinned and when i swallowed my mouthful i started to speak.

"I'll read to you at least two of my smut books," i said before going back to eating my food.

"Wait, you read this sort of thing?" he asked looking a bit surprised. I grinned mischievously and nodded.

"Yeah. I should be getting back my luggage today so i'll be able to show you my collection." I said going back to my food.

"Wait, you have a collection?!" he demanded, his eye gleaming eagerly. I frowned slightly as i examined him; his eyes where blazing with interest and there was a level of emotion in his voice and body language that hadn't been there before and he was leaned forward in his interest. Interesting; smut books where his weak spot. i nodded before i finished the rest of my rice.

"Can you read english?" i asked. Kakashi made a face under his mask before speaking.

"Not very well. i'm not sure if my grammar is correct, so i might not be able to read it." he said. "It was however used to send secret messages, so i do know some basics." i nodded.

"I don't have a hope of getting good with your written language. Maybe if you read out loud and i followed along after i learned enough Japanese i could learn your writing system that way." Kakashi was turning slightly red again.

"um..." he said trailing off. i smirked at his unease.

"reading out loud too embarrassing you?" i challenged, my tone mocking. his eyes narrowed and his chin jerked up a centimeter in defiance. i grinned.

"But isn't it part of your mission to teach me Japanese?" i asked coyly, making him narrow his eyes at my sugary sweet innocent tone. " And doesn't that include your writing?" i asked trying to look innocent.

"There are other thing i could read to you," he said, sounding irritable.

"But i want you to read thaaaaaat!" i whined pointing to the book in his hand which he hurriedly put up.

"Pleeeeeeeease?" i asked, trying to pull puppy eyes, but he just seemed too get more cross with me.

"No. that's my final answer." i scowled before a dark grin slid over my face.

"Fine. I'll just have to put my collection where you can't get to it," i said nonchalantly as i leaned back in my chair completely relaxed. Kakashi snorted, his unsually calm face now mocking and smug.

"And where would that be?" he asked his tone mocking. he probably thought because he was a ninja he would be able to get to the books without a hitch. I smirked.

"With Ibiki or the Hokage. i'll tell them that it would be best if they held onto the books so i wasn't tempted to black mail you." i said. Kakashi twitched and i grinned, knowing i had him. Betcha he didn't see that one coming.

"...well it's not like your books would be any good. and its just two. I can live without that," he said, though i could tell he was just saying that; like that was what he was trying to convince himself. there was a slightly spasmodic twitch in his left hand. I snorted before going on to quote one of my favorite books, my voice taking on a soft captivating tone.

"A gentle breeze brushed past and filled the dark room, making John's feverish warmth intoxicating as his strong arms held me close, his lips passionately exploring my own. "Cat, he whispered as dappled moonlight painted his bare skin. i gasped for air when he pulled back, and the curtains where parted with another gust of wind. the moon was now clear and i could see all of him now, the light no longer teasing me as he stood before me in his bare perfection. He was already ready and i shuddered at the girth of him. "all this for me?" i asked teasingly as i gently stroked his hard length. a shudder ran through his body and his muscles rippled as a light groan filled the now dark room. "Catness," he gasped, his tone almost pleading as i continued to tease him, my fingers stroking his length tantalizingly light and slow. I chuckled and let my filmy robe flow to the floor before laying back on the bed, my legs spread to receive him, my body displayed in all its bare glory. "Take me," i whispered. Kakashi was sitting statue still, his undivided attention on me. After a moment he let out a breath that he had been holding before i spoke.

"Actually, i'v got a collection of at least fifty-seven smut novels. and they are all orgasmic," i said making Kakashi stare at me wide eyed.

"Fif-fifty seven?!" he said, his hands twitching spasmodically like he was groping the air. I fought to hide the grin on my face. I had him by the balls. Poor guy.

"But, i'll only start reading to you after i learn Japanese, so that way we can take turns reading to each other. you get two days to read to me, and i get two days to read to you," I said gaining his attention once more.

"What?" he cried, emotion coloring his voice once more making my eyebrows go up. Kakashi frowned and looked at me with an intense expression, making me squirm in my seat. "Why?" he demanded, sounding annoyed.

"For the whole learn Japanese part, i say that because it would be hard for you to translate from japanese to english constantly, so it would be best if you just read it to me when i can understand, and if there are phrases in japanese i don't get,that are more advanced, you can teach them to me. and because if you're that embarrassed about reading aloud to me then i wouldn't put it past you to learn how to read my language correctly then double cross me to read the rest of my books without reading your books to me," i said making Kakashi still his agitated twitching, this time examining me carefully as if examining me for the first time. i nearly shuddered under his masked one eyed gaze, but after a moment he casually leaned back in his chair and pulled out his book.

"Then we're just going to have you learn Japanese as soon as possible." he said, what i could see of his expression very determined, making me swallow in trepidation. Maybe i should have just let this one go. i had a feeling that he was going to drill Japanese into my head until i was speaking it backwards in my sleep.

*Honorifics- the English equivalent to titles. for example, Mr. and Miss, etc.

* * *

***HONORIFICS **

**-chan** cute; baby talk. Children who grow up together may keep using the -chan honorific into close friends and relatives, especially female ones.

**-kun **familiar title after name of colleague or student, usually male. Used for male friends and relatives. It can be used for women as well, but typically is not.

**-san: **Mr., Ms., Mrs., Miss.; The suffix denoting that the person being spoken to is of equal or nearly equal social status. It is not used for people you know well.

**-sama**[formal] Mr., Ms., Mrs., Miss. Informal use before is sam- or san-.; Very high respect. Not normally used with other people's names, but it can be. Usually used with a title.

**No honorific**- unless you where given express permission by the person, it is considered very rude to call a person by their first name without an honorific. However if permission has been given it is considered a great honor usually reserved for family or very close friends and/or spouse.

**AN: hey there. hope you liked it. i tried to keep the story from getting too mary-sue, or typical, so i hope you guys like it. **

**Click this button 8D**

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**V**


	3. Chapter 3

AN:Hey everyone! Hope you all like it. Please review afterwards.

Disclaimer:i don't own Naruto or... huff. you get the picture. BUT... i do own this awesome all over the place plot! haha!

Ch. 3

"That's it!" I cried in exasperation, frustrated nearly to the point of tears. I was currently speaking in Japanese, one of the many reasons i was so pissed off. i was sick of getting dragged out of bed and having Japanese and chakra control drilled into me, as i had been doing for the past two and a half weeks. I still hadn't been able to get tested by the Hokage to see where my skill level was. Kakashi was relentless, and kept me at it except for meal times and bathroom breaks. even then he was translating foods and telling me how to ask for stuff at a restaurant and what is polite, etc.

"I don't want to hear it. You said that when you spoke Japanese, is when we would start reading. if i don't have you fluent by the end of the week, i will have failed as a ninja teacher" said Kakashi, as he crossed his arms over his chest, scowling me. That's right. I still had another thick workbook to go through. Apparently Ibiki had one commissioned for my use to learn their language. I looked around, and quickly calculated an escape.

"Alright, fine. just let me get dressed," i said before shooing him out of the bed room. Kakashi had taken to sleeping on a futon in the living room, while giving me his room, the only gentlemanly thing he had done since i had issued the book challenge.

"Ok, I've got this," i told myself, as i carefully formed the hand seals i needed.

"kage bushin no jutsu," i murmured. i felt a tug at my natural energy. then nothing. nothing happened.

"Shit," i murmured, careful not to talk too high. Kakashi had excellent hearing after all.

Flash back

"so you make those hand seal thingys like this, right?"

"Yes, though you need to work on your hand form. yes, like that. When you make hand seals, you are molding your chakra in your hands. at the end of a sequence of hand signs, you release the jutsu and the chakra."

"So i make my hands like this," i asked. Kakashi made a face before correcting my hands again.

Flashback ends

Ok. I just needed to put my chakra in my hands a bit more, i told myself a bit desperately, trying to keep calm. I formed the hand seals a bit faster , focusing my chakra as needed, knowing my time was running out.

"Kagebushin no jutsu," i murmured. this time there was a poof of smoke and a clone of myself appeared next to me. i staggered at the drain it caused to my energy before righting myself. This was the first time i had performed any jutsu, and Kakashi hadn't taught me this one willingly. he had performed it several times in front of me, and after asking a few questions i was able to figure out how the jutsu worked. Oh well. Time to go.

"Do your best," i said to my clone as i went out the window, a change of cloths in hand. I would change out of my pajamas at the hot springs.

...

It was dusk and i was on my way back when my clone released itself. I staggered at the onslaught of information i received before righting myself, feeling tired, despite the fact that i had spent the day relaxing at the bath house. Probably a side effect of the jutsu. From my clone's memories, it had released itself when Kakashi had taken a break to go get take-out. if i was lucky i could get back in time without him realizing what i had done.

"There you are," murmured a voice behind me. Without thinking i did a sweeping kick as i pulled a kunai out of my bag. the person behind me easily dodged my blow and leap out of my striking range. i relaxed and straitened when i recognized Kakashi.

"Oh, its you," i said in Japanese before giving a yawn.

"awww, I'm tiiiiiiired," i groaned, still speaking in Japanese. Kakashi looked at me oddly for a moment before he motioned with his head for me to follow him.

"I didn't know that you where going for a walk," he said as i walked along side of him. I shrugged.

"Well, after spending so much time inside, i decided i needed a chance to get some fresh air and stretch my legs," i said. "Besides i wanted to practice walking on power lines," i said in Japanese with a grin. Kakashi paused mid-step before continuing. After a moment he finally spoke.

"Your speech has gotten a lot better." he said quietly in Japanese. "the way you're talking now is much more natural." i grinned. it was probably because i had ended up spending most of the day chatting with the ladies that where on my side of the hot springs. most of them had been rather kind when they learned that i was currently learning their language, and would correct me and help me with words as we talked.

"Thank you." i said said cheerily, gloating to myself mentally over the fact that he hadn't figured out what had happened to help me progress. He paused, looking me over carefully, this time frowning and i forced my face to go blank even though i was fighting to hide a smile. His eyes looked suspicious After a second, he lifted his head band and i jumped as the other eye he always had covered, opened. It was red with little black dots surrounding it.

"What the hell is that?!" i demanded as i pointed at the red and black eye, totally shocked. I then groaned and threw my hands up in the air, feeling exasperated.

"No never mind! i do not want to know! ugh, no one can be normal around here!" i muttered as i heard Kakashi chuckle.

...

"So why did you pull that... er, eye out all of a sudden?" I asked over dinner speaking in Japanese. Kakashi had already eaten as was his habit and was seated across from me reading icha icha paradise, as he called it, or as it might translate in English, Make out Paradise.

"Hmm? Oh, to make sure it was you and not a transformation or something." he said. I frowned in minor confusion. When he didn't elaborate I went back to eating my food. there was a knock at the door and i stood.

"I'll get it," i said. i opened the door and nearly jumped in surprise. there where five Anbu black ops on the apartment walkway. now that i knew what the group was i was more jumpy around them; that and the name meant dark side.

"Kumori-san?" asked one.

"Yes? what is it?" i asked in Japanese.

"We where ordered to deliver these to you." said one of them. after a second i squealed, realizing what they had with them.

"My luggage!" i cried before moving out of the way to let the Anbu in. they set down my several bags of luggage and straitened. i opened a case and squealed in delight.

"Oh! thank you guys so much," i cried. i was about to hug a random Anbu but Kakashi's teachings on etiquette came back and i caught myself in time to turn it into a respectful bow.

"No problem," responded another Anbu before they all disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"What was it?" called Kakashi from the living room.

"The Anbu dropped off my luggage," i said. i flinched when Kakashi all but appeared at my side with a gust of air.

"Geez, chill out, will ya? you're going to scare me to death one of these days," i groused trying to collect myself from my now jumpy state. His inhuman speed tended to unnerve me at times. Kakashi just chuckled, his eyes sparkling as he eyed my luggage cases. it looked like he was going to ask me to start reading my porno books now that the Anbu had finally dropped off this particular bit of my luggage. For some reason they had decided to detain my smut collection a bit longer than the rest of my luggage. saying that they wanted to check my books for secret codes and what not. Ha, yeah, right.

"Oh no you don't. You get to start us off, reading Icha Icha Paradise" i said moving to block his view of my luggage with my body, talking about our book reading agreement. I was afraid that if i read aloud to him long enough with him watching the word that he would go on ahead reading my books without fulfilling his side of the bargain. I knew Kakashi was brilliant; a genius, and i wouldn't put it past him to use underhanded means to get what he wanted. but then again, i thought that of almost everyone. What i could see of Kakashi's expression soured noticably.

"You're a demon, torturing me like this, you know that right?" he asked as i laughed. after a second i realized that i had spoken in Japanese the entire evening and i blinked as a wave of numbing shock hit me. I never picked up on stuff this fast before i came here. the fact that i was starting to speak relativity fluent Japanese even though it had only been eighteen days of lessons hit me like a brick wall. Granted, Kakashi had been drilling me nonstop but... for me to actually retain the information... it was something that i couldn't ignore any longer. this placed had really changed me, and even if i ever did get back home, i wouldn't be the same person. this was... disturbing to say the least. Kakashi frowned at me and i quickly schooled my face to mask my feelings. he was a hardened ninja. i didn't want to show my weaknesses to him, a person who had probably experienced so much more pain. that and i didn't want to show weakness in front of... well, anyone; it only left you open to get even more hurt.

"Actually, after all of today's studies, i'm really tired. Can we read tomorrow?" i asked, my voice tired but perky as per usual as i shot Kakashi a tired grin. Kakashi was silent for a moment before speaking.

"I was just joking when i called you a demon. I'm sorry if you thought i was being literal," he said as i started shaking my head.

"Oh, that? Psh! it's fine. i didn't think you meant anything by it anyways; i'm just tired," i said, forcing another lazy grin on my face as i started to turn to head to the bathroom. After a moment Kakashi heaved a sigh and shook his head.

"You know something?" he asked as he plopped down on the couch, making me halt on my way to the bathroom. I frowned when he pat the spot next to him before i hesitantly sat next to him.

"What?"

"You're a terrible liar," he said. I could feel my lower lip tremble of its own accord and i looked away quickly to hide my tears. after a second a pair of hesitant arm wrapped me in a hug, and tears started to leak from my eyes despite me trying to will them away. Not here. Not like this.

a moment later I struggled away from his grasp before fleeing out of the apartment. I had been growing more and more homesick as the days passed, longing for familiar smells and well-known places, and sounds. But this had been my breaking point. Now, I could no longer recognize myself in this odd place, this alien world.

I leaped over the second story apartment's balcony and took off at a run when I landed on the ground. At least this much hasn't changed about me, I thought bitterly as I quickly made my way through the dark city, 'I still don't want people to see me when I'm about to break down.' Soon the buildings began to thin and gave way to the tall thick trees of Konoha. After a while I stopped, my grief too much for me to continue. I put my arms around the tree in front of me as I cried; soon my crying turned to gasping sobs as I blubbered about my frustration, my loneliness, my longing. My distorted voice seemed to echo through the silent trees as I grieved.

"A-Anbu," I sobbed, "I m-miss you so much. I hope Shane is t-taking good care of you. I wish I could see you two." I cried harder, knowing in my heart that I couldn't go home, and that I would never see them again.

"I wish I could see my home one last time. I wish I had my lumpy pillows and my blanket." I sobbed, thinking of the keepsakes that I had had since before I could remember.

"And I wish I looked like myself. I wish I couldn't smell everything, like I can now; that my hearing was normal." I sniffled. I loved having powerful eyesight, but the rest I hated. My anger and my longing now turned toward food.

"I wish I they had normal food here." I lamented through choking sobs, "I'm tired of all these odd dishes; I want a steak and some chocolate. I want coffee. And I want to burn that bloody Learning Japanese book Kakashi is making me complete," I sobbed.

"My head… Ugh! I can't stand this! I thought Sissy was supposed to be the smart one," I wept. "Now i can't do anything without thinking!" My anger grew when I remembered that my hair had turned purple.

"Stupid hair; stupid eyes." My blubbering fell quiet after that, as my sobs grew to hyper ventilation. I jumped and gasped when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked behind me as I scanned the dark woods. From the little bit of moonlight there was I could spot a head of nappy white hair.

"What a-are you d-d-doing here?" I demanded hyperventilation turning my words into a stutter.

"Making sure you're alright," came Kakashi's calm voice.

"I-I'm f-fine. G-go away." I snapped turning to let my forehead rest on the tree I was holding, feeling angry and humiliated with him. I had left for a purpose, and here he was anyways when I was at my lowest. I stiffened when I felt Kakashi's hand on my wrist.

"S-stop," I demanded angrily as he detached me from the tree, despite my struggle against that. He grabbed my waist and pulled me into the circle of his arms. After a moment more of struggle, I gave up, seeing it as pointless, positively seething.

"w-what d-do you think th-that this is g-going to accomplish?" I hissed angrily, making Kakashi pause before his movements stilled as well.

"You are very upset, and it is my job to protect you, even from yourself. I don't want you running off again," he said quietly before his tone turned nonchalant and normal, "besides, most people find it comforting to cry in some one else's arms and I'm not very good at the whole comforting thing, so I'm afraid this is all I know to do." He said before hesitantly and awkwardly petting me on the head. I snorted in amusement despite my irritation and relaxed slightly as I scrubbed a few tears from my eyes. As an after thought Kakashi wiped away some of the tears that I had missed making me scowl despite the fact i was blushing in the ears.

"You don't have to worry about me harming myself," I grumbled before heaving a tired sigh as a couple tears leaked from the corner of my eye. I quickly wiped them away.

"I'm not into that stuff, and I'm not a masochistic." I murmured before giving a tired sighed, starting to relax into Kakashi despite my best efforts. _Most of the time, that is_, i thought. He had forgotten his flack jacket and the warmth that radiated from him body was warming me despite the chill I had gotten from the crisp fall air. The wind made the still green leaves rustle and my eyes slid shut enjoying the soothing sound. I jumped when I felt his fingers touch my bottom lip.

"You say that, but Ibiki told me that you had had a number of scars from before you where healed by your… change, to worry about you," he murmured, his warm breath fanning over my face and nose. I was glad that when I blushed it only showed up in my ears, and not my face.

"…Those…" I trailed off before sighing and burying my face in Kakashi's chest, enjoying the warmth that he radiated. his temperature seemed a little warmer than an average person's.

"I don't care to talk about it, and I'm really tired," I murmured as the heady musk of his scent hit my nose and the sound of his heart steadily beat away. I thought he was going to press the matter but after a moment Kakashi sighed in submission before patting me on the back.

"Hold on to me," he murmured. I nodded in consent not raising my head from the place it was securely nestled. I could feel his hand move behind me as he performed a series of hand seals. Poof! I peaked to see that we had appeared on the top of a building in Konoha. Kakashi performed the seals again. Poof! When the smoke cleared we where back in the living room of Kakashi's apartment. I sighed reluctant to detach myself from the masked man.

"You know, I hadn't believed you when you said that the whole hugging thing might be comforting, but to my surprise I don't want to let go." I murmured. Kakashi was silent a moment before he pat me on the back soothingly.

"Alright. Then you don't have to," he murmured, "Though I would suggest getting ready for bed. If you want… uh, I can hold you… till you fall asleep." His tone was uncertain and slightly awkward, which was very unlike his usual nonchalant tone.

"Really?" I asked as I looked up at him with surprised eyes. I hadn't expected him to offer something like this. I wasn't sure if it was a faux pas or something looked down upon, seeing as he was somewhat uncomfortable, but I really liked his suggestion.

"That would be nice," I murmured before detaching myself with a yawn. "I'll go get ready for bed."

* * *

When I finished brushing my teeth, and had changed into my pajamas, I hopped in the bed and turned on the lamp on the night stand before scooting over so that Kakashi could join me when he was finished getting ready for bed. After a few minutes he came in and turned off the over head light, leaving the night side lamp the only light on. I frowned when I realized that he wasn't wearing a shirt with his pajama pants. His skin was pale and I would see defined rippling muscle as he walked over to the side of the bed, his chest sculpted and his abs defined. He was built, but still had a lithe shape despite the muscle that graced his handsome frame. I swallowed uncertainly. the way his wild white hair flopped across his forehead was... i shooed the thought away quickly before clearing my throat.

"um…" I said shooting him and inquisitive look as I gestured to his bare torso. "Where's the rest of it?" I joked though there was a bit of uncertainty in my voice. Kakashi shrugged nonchalantly as he sat next to me and got comfortable.

"I don't wear a shirt to bed. I thought you knew that by now." He said. I shook my head as I gave him an uncertain look.

"Well I guess I usually go to sleep before you," I said, trying to reason out why I wouldn't have noticed this. In fact, now that I thought about it, I had never seen him in his sleep cloths. After a moment Kakashi put his arm around me and pulled me flush against his side, making me blush in the face, a truly rare thing as I usually only blushed in my ears, which where tomato red by now and burning. Kakashi didn't seem to notice and began to rub my arm in a comforting way as he moved the bedside lap to where it was shining on him. And he pulled out Icha Icha paradise before beginning to read aloud, his mellow voice lulling me to relax.

"Ryuu hissed in frustration as he scrabbled with his wild, wayward hair, in an attempt to get it to behave. Shit he though as he looked at the clock. he began to attack his hair with renewed vigor. After about a few more minutes he gave up with despair. he had to go get his date, there was no more time for this. maybe flowers and some humor would smooth his way tonight. hopefully with a little wine and the right ambiance, he would score this evening. Ryuu sighed wistfully as he locked his apartment, eyes glazing over as he thought of the lovely Natsu. It still eluded him as to why she had finally agreed to go out with him, after all these years."

After a moment I relaxed and yawned, before snuggling into Kakashi's side, trying to get used to the feel of his bare chest under my finger tips. He shuddered lightly as I put an arm around his chest, but only pat my arm soothingly.

"Hey, Kakashi?" i asked softly, making him pause in his reading.

"Hmm?" he asked. i fiddled with the edge of the blanket for a moment before asking him something that had been bugging me for a while.

"How... how long where you there? when i was... uh, crying... at the tree?" I asked softly. I blushed when i realized that he was examining my face careful as he had a tendency to do at times. After a minute more he finally spoke, his voice quiet.

"The entire time." he murmured. My face went bright red. "I'm sorry, but it is my duty to ensure your safety," he said before hesitantly petting my hair in a comforting manner. "I... can't say that i understand your pain entirely, but i understand the sense of loss you feel. there is no reason for you to be ashamed," he said, his tone somber for once.

"If i lost my home, and my friends i would be... well, i'm not sure exactly how i would react. but i would miss them; greatly." A wave of relief hit me at his understanding, making me feel slightly off kilter before i shot him a thankful grin and relaxed into his side once more.

"Hey, Kakashi?" i asked before he could start reading again.

"Hmm?" I yawned as my eyes began to slide shut.

"Thank you," i whispered. He pat my hair once more and began to read aloud once more, this time more softly. Between the soft lull of his voice I could hear his steady heart beat. I could smell his soothing scent, that let me know i was safe and the warmth he radiated sent me to the land of dreams in a matter of moments.

...

I groaned when i woke, rolling over in my bed before stretching luxuriously. My stretching was paused however when my hand slid over feverish bare skin. I froze and slowly turned my head to see that Kakashi was still there. He was asleep, Icha Icha in hand. He must have fallen asleep reading, i thought. He wasn't under the covers like me, so i was guessing that was what happened. that or he wanted to sleep on his own bed for once but hadn't come under the covers. I blushed as i examined his bare torso, no longer having to worry about him noticing. unless he was pretending to be asleep. I quickly glanced at his face to find that he was indeed quite asleep; his breathing was even and deep, hypnotic even. What i could see of his masked face was relaxed and his eyes where twitching. He must be in the REM* stage, i thought before i began to examine him with interest. I paused when i came across a big scar going across his shoulder. i traced it lightly with my finger tip marveling at the different textures. Kakashi sighed and rolled over on top of me, making me squeak in surprise. Well, not really on top of me all the way. His arm was wrapped around my blanket covered waist and his leg was carelessly thrown across my blanket clad legs. I stiffened when he muttered something and nuzzled into my neck. my face blazing bright red.

"K-kakashi! wake up!" i squeaked as i tried to wiggle away from him.

"Hmm?" he said suddenly sitting up, his eyes barely open. he muttered something before pulling back the covers and crawling in with me. I gaped at him until he muttered something else under his breath and pulled me flush against his chest. after a moment, a light snore started up. I lay frozen there for a moment before i started to relax, despite myself. He was amazingly warm, something i had noticed the night before. I frowned and felt his forehead as he slept. He mumbled something under his breath but other then that didn't react. I frowned. His temperature was higher than it should have been. i felt his neck to find that it was feverish as well. Maybe he was sick. he should have woken up already anyways. Despite myself i yawned, growing sleepy again. With the hypnotic sounds of his breathing and heart beat under my ear, and the lazy warmth he emitted i ended up falling asleep again.

I groaned as something shook my shoulder.

"Stop it," i complained sleepily before settling down on my pillow again. the warmth it emitted was relaxing and made me feel safe. i didn't want to get up.

"Kumori, it's almost noon. i think we need to get up. we're already late by an hour to see the Hokage," said a lazy voice; a voice that was coming from my pillow.

"What?!" i demanded as i sat up with a jerk, wide eyes and wide awake now. Kakashi just blinked at me in surprise but made no move to get up as i scrambled out of bed and rushed around the room picking out my cloths for the day.

"Uh, Kumori-chan?" came Kakashi's mellow but confused voice.

"I can't believe that you didn't tell me the test was today! and we're late on top of that!" i cried as i picked up a random uniform and threw it at Kakashi, who of course caught it with ease. he sighed before laying back.

"Ma, ma, so hectic. you don't need to get so worked up Kumori-chan," he said before sighing and sitting up.

"Whatever. just be dressed when i get back." i said about to head to the bathroom to change. I paused when i thought of something. "unless... you're not coming with me?" i asked, my tone uncertain as i paused to look at Kakashi to see his reaction. truth be told, he was the one person i really felt comfortable around other than Ibiki, who was the head of the interrogation and torture unit, it turns out. Go figure as to why i seemed to trust that guy.

"I'll go with you. i want to see how you do against your opponent," he said before he stretched.

"Alright," i said, making sure the door was shut before i let my smile break free. I wouldn't admit it openly, but i was secretly glad that he was going to be there.

* * *

I stood on the training field outside of Konoha, fidgeting nervously. the Hokage had told us to arrive on the field at ten, but there was no one there, and it was eleven twenty. maybe the Hokage got fed up and decided not to do the test. maybe, he found my lack of punctuality annoying and he was going to throw me into confined living for being unreliable. Maybe he was-

"Kumori, calm down." demanded Kakashi, his tone even and calm, but firm none the less. I shot him and anxious glance before i realized that i had been pacing madly. I let out a nervous breath i had been holding.

"I'm just so nervous." i murmured before sitting down under a tree and tugging a lock of hair in annoyance.

"Why?"

"Hmm?" i asked looking up brought from my troubling thoughts.

"Why are you so nervous? it's not like you." said Kakashi nonchalantly as he leaned against the tree i was under, looking up at the clouds with his one visible eye. I continued to fidget until he placed his hands over mine to calm my hands from their nervous hair tugging. He was silent, and it was clear that he was waiting for an answer. I shrugged, taking a sudden interest in the ground by my feet.

"Well, i don't know how things really work here." I said quietly. "and this is a ninja village after all. I'm nervous because i don't know what the true motives behind this examination are. this test could prove that i am actually of some use to the village, and the village decides to keep me, or i could be deemed a waste and tucked away forever or killed to ensure that none of the villages secrets are lost." i murmured as i let out a shaky breath and brought my knees to my chest.

"Even then, i'm not sure what would be worse," i murmured softly before tucking my head into my knees. i heard the grass rustle as Kakashi sat next to me. he was quiet for a bit before speaking, his tone somber.

"You don't need to worry about the village killing you," he said. "You are too much of a rarity; you're too valuable. I'm sure the village would like if you where of some use to it, but you wouldn't be tucked away as long as you don't speak of your home with anyone in the village. despite our best efforts, spies still manage to infiltrate the village. if you wanted, you could lead a normal civilian life, but you wouldn't be able to go beyond the village walls," he murmured. i looked up to see him looking at me, his only visible eye sad before i shot him a hopeful look.

"You think so?" i asked, my tone soft. Kakashi nodded before patting my head. I sighed and relaxed slightly before giving a yawn.

"Awww, i'm still tired," i grumbled with a pout making Kakashi give a one eyed smile.

"How could you have not gotten enough sleep?" he asked, his tone nonchalant though i could tell he was teasing in his own way. I pouted theatrically.

"Well, you snore, talk in your sleep, sometimes kick, and are grabby," i said. Kakashi blinked in surprise. my eyes widened when what little of his face turned bright red.

"Is that so?" he asked. His ears where now red. i started to snicker.

"I'm just joking," i said adding a pause before continuing, "About all that stuff waking me up that is," i said with a grin. "I only noticed when i tried to get up the first time this morning." Kakashi gave an uncharacteristic clearing of his throat and i giggled, leaning into his side.

"It's alright. you feel asleep reading is all," i said, trying to comfort him in his embarrassment. he gave a long suffered sigh before pulling out Icha Icha.

"Yeah, i did. do you want me to continue reading? where did you fall asleep?" he asked. I shrugged as he open the book and began to flip through the pages.

"Where Kaito was-" Poof! i was cut off by a puff of smoke that appeared suddenly in front of Kakashi and i. I blinked when it clear leaving a masked Anbu and the Hokage standing there, grinning.

"Hello kumori-chan. i see your Japanese has gotten a lot better," he said. i gulped as i glance between the Hokage and the Anbu. the Hokage's grin faded, leaving him looking serious.

"It's time for your evaluation," he said as the Anbu began to move toward the center of the field away from me. i frowned as i watched him go. i could tell it was a guy. why was he here?

"Turtle will be your opponent," said the Hokage, gesturing to the Anbu in the center of the field. i took a deep breath before standing and shooting Kakashi a nervous grin.

"Wish me luck," i said cheerfully before heading to the center of the field where the masked man was. when i was standing across from him, we both bowed, waiting for the Hokage's command. to tell the truth i wasn't looking forward to having to fight an elite shinobi.

"Begin!" i yelped when the Anbu began an immediate assault. i was using everything i had to keep from getting hit by his outrageously fast punches and kicks. My fear rose when after a few minutes i couldn't get away even when i tried to run. He still hadn't gotten a hit in but had come very close a few times. If i didn't get away from this guy and fast, i was going to be dead meat. Oh shit, i thought when one of his punches slipped past my guard, heading for my face. i was done for.

To be continued...

*REM- Rapid eye movement= a stage of sleep; usually comes in cycles, each longer than the last and is characterized by random eye movement and Paralysis of muscles. there are some cases however in which the person is not paralyzed.

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	4. Chapter 4

_"Turtle will be your opponent," said the Hokage, gesturing to the Anbu in the center of the field. i took a deep breath before standing and shooting Kakashi a nervous grin._

_"Wish me luck," i said cheerfully before heading to the center of the field where the masked man was. to tell the truth i was just trying to put on a brave face, more for myself than anyone. when i was standing across from him, we both bowed, waiting for the Hokage's command. to tell the truth i wasn't looking forward to having to fight an elite shinobi._

_"Begin!" i yelped when the Anbu began an immediate assault. i was using everything i had to keep from getting hit by his outrageously fast punches and kicks. My fear rose when after a few minutes when one of his punches hit a tree. it had exploded on contact blasting me with splinters of wood as i tried to get clear of the flying debris, realization of the danger bringing with it horror. If i didn't get out of here, and fast, i was dead. forget about the test, if this really was one. I took off into the trees weaving and darting. i glanced over my shoulder to see that the Anbu was still on my trail. shit. I yelped when he suddenly appeared before me and our dance of speed and power began once more. He still hadn't gotten a hit in but had come very close a few times. If i didn't get away from this guy and fast, i was going to be a splatter of blood and mincemeat on the battlefield. _

_Oh shit, i thought when one of his punches slipped past my guard, heading for my face. i was finished._

* * *

It was at that moment, thank Kami-sama, i slipped. the punch sailed right through where my head had been a moment before. Whoosh! i used the momentum to land a kick to the groin of my opponent and at this I took off into the trees to hide myself. _take that!_ i thought frantically as i searched for a hiding spot. Once he had recovered enough the Anbu tried to follow me but this time i used a shadow clone filled to the brim with chakra as a decoy, making sure to lead him away as i hid behind a tree. Kakashi had warned me about sensory ninjas who could feel the chakra of others even from a distance. It seemed to work. the Ninja didn't even pause as he passed my hiding spot, as i frantically suppressed my chakra.

_Ok, he was gone. Shit, don't panic, remember what Kakashi told you,_ i thought frantically as the Anbu spotted my clone and took off at full speed after it. _I don't have a lot of time. i need to make the best of it; think!_ Remembering Kakashi's lessons I closed my eyes and began to play with my chakra, getting a feel for it. This was my greatest weapon right now. I practiced focusing it in my fingers, fists, feet, knees, elbows and the very back of my neck, all at different times practicing how to control the strength of it, the strength and the size. I had all the time i needed after all, seeing as the Hokage hadn't set a time limit; the only thing i was worried about was when my clone got hit or when the Anbu realized he was chasing a fake. Hopefully my clone would release itself where he couldn't see so that way he wouldn't know about me being able to use that jutsu. that would buy me the most time. I sighed As I practiced my hand signs; i needed killer game plans to make it out of this in one piece. Kakashi might have said this was just a test, but they had me teamed up against and elite ninja who was using deadly force. or was he? My eyes narrowed. I would have to test that. With that i created another clone, this one's mission to get in the Anbu's kill path. the clone would transform the other clone into something before going out to fight the Anbu though so the Anbu wouldn't know about me having clones, and then go in for an attack. if the ninja made an obvious kill move and took my clone out with it, then i could rule out this being a real test and start looking for an escape. while the clone went on it's way i continued with my practice and my thoughts.

This was an elite Anbu ninja. His strengths where my weaknesses and he knew taijutsu as well, putting me at a large disadvantage. He was also more experienced in a real fight and could deflect shuriken as well as kunai. I could deflect them as well, but I wasn't as good as him. Kakashi had had to bandage me up a few times from me getting nicked by a blade i hadn't been able to deflect completely. If anything, I had to get his weapons away from him. I knew the guy was carrying them, even if they weren't strapped to his leg like a normal ninja. I had to get his katana away from him at all costs though. it gave him the advantage of range mixed with deadly force, another thing in this guys favor. It would be hard enough to fight him if he used ninjutsu or genjutsu though i was good at breaking the latter.

I frowned as I hung upside down from the limb of a tree, careful to be vigilant of the Anbu, where ever he was. my clones still hadn't released themself just yet, so i figure i was safe for the moment. Kakashi had remarked that it was almost freaky how easily the control of chakra was to me; Almost as if I was made to handle it despite the fact that i was from another world. I closed my eyes, trying to feel the chakra around me. After a couple minutes I was able to pick apart the feel of different chackras and was finally able to pick up Kakashi's and another persons. in fact i could feel them coming toward me. My clone release itself then and my eyes narrowed with the flood of information. the Anbu hadn't tried to kill my clone, just knock it out, but my clone had used a substitution jutsu and gotten away. the Anbu then went looking for the clone, who had all but run out of energy and was hiding. Apparently thats when the Anbu picked up on my true chakra and decided to head to where it was coming from. Time to hide.

If I did this right, then I could defeat my opponent, mainly by using the element of surprise. After all, since he was so experienced and he barely knew me, it was more likely than not that he would immediately underestimate me, a fatal move if I had been aiming to kill. If not, I would have to do this the hard way. After about a couple more minutes, i performed my jutsu, putting the last bit in place before performing my final transformation, this time on myself, making me appear to have short blond hair and purple eyes with a petite figure. It had take a lot of energy. hopefully this would work.

I had used two of the jutsus i knew to make about four clones of me and transforms them to look like civilian girls on the way to the beach, all wearing bathing suits and carrying beach bags and towels one, looking like the old me with short curly brown hair and brown eyes. The Anbu burst into the clearing and we all squeal before twittering nervously as a few looked shy and a few looked embarrassed but flirty. The Anbu paused before speaking.

"Excuse me, lovely maidens, but have you seen a young woman with purple hair and teal eyes going through here?" he asked. I gasped before looking at him with doe eyes.

"Why? is she dangerous?" asked the clone that looked like the old me. The Anbu turned to look at her and took a step back with a gasp.

"I-it's you!" he said an odd emotion coloring his voice. We all frowned at him in uncertainty before a sudden burst of blood began to drip out from under his mask staining the from of his vest red with blood. wait, why did this seem familiar? My eyes widened when i realized who my opponent was.

"It's you!" all my clones shouted, my anger making me loose control of my transformations. Poof, went the smoke as the transformation was release to reveal several enraged looking me's. Man, i was so pissed it was unreal. i was going to beat the shit out of this guy; beat him to a pulp. _how dare he stare at me, even dodge that chair i threw at him. who knew what would have happened if he hadn't fainted..._ this was the thought that made my blood go cold before it burned with the need to have his blood. I think my clones where all thinking along the same lines because one hissed, another snarled and we all cracked our knuckles at the same time.

"Oh, you're going to pay," we all hissed, making the Anbu step back.

"W-what?" he stuttered looking at my clones in confusion. I frowned. for an elite he wasn't very fast, mentally. Maybe thats why they paired me up with him, so i stood a chance. that or maybe he didn't know i was the same woman from before, the one he had walked in on, and thats why he was gaping at me... No it was't that or his nose would start bleeding again. Maybe he thought that his opponent couldn't do any ninjutsu, which was why he was shocked, much less the shadow clone jutsu. yeah, thats it, i thought as my clones fell into formation surrounding him. i had found out the other day that it was a hard jutsu to master and even then, people could usually only make three at the most. I had about four. the Anbu fell into a defensive crouch, and my eyes watch his muscles tense. Looked like it was time to make a move.

I pushed chakra wildly into my legs and arms as well as my torso, adjusted the strength, and took off strait at the Anbu with chakra enhanced speed. Whoosh! My eyes picked up the slight movement of his left leg and I redirected my path, smacking his hand as he tried to punch me before grabbing his kunai pouch and placing in on my belt as he tried to kick me in the back of the neck.

"Severe leaf hurricane!" he yelled. Smack! A clone blocked his kick directed at me by pushing chakra into the back its arm, using the chakra as a shield before It grabbed the leg he had tried to kick me with and threw him across the field, yanking his shuriken holster off his backside as he was thrown. As he began to right himself in mid air, another clone came forward, lightning quick with a sharp hollow slap to both of his ears, seeing as he had major blind spots with that turtle mask on. I watched while my other clone strapped the pouches to me. My eyes widend when i saw another kick coming.

"Look out!" i yelled but it was too late.

"Hidden lotus!" he yelled. WHAM! He smacked my clone pretty hard in the ribs with a kick It had been too slow to block completely, sending it flying before it was released with a poof. _Damn._ I thought as i grit my teeth and motioned to one of my clones to help me. Whoosh! I had a clone launch me at him using chakra to fuel my speed, as i hoped to get another move in before he could right himself completely.

My clone's slap over his ears had been extremely hard and it had been designed to throw his equilibrium off, (seeing as it was connected to his inner ear, which controls the balance of the body) as well as buy me a couple of seconds. I threw one of his paper bombed kunai with chakra speed at him that he managed to dodge. As intended, his reaction time was a couple of seconds slow and the kunai barely missed him. What he failed to notice was that it severed the strings that connected the katana (Japanese sword) to his back. And as I had planned, BOOM! The small paper bomb went off right then at that moment sending the Anbu flying one way, the sword flying the other. I kicked off another tree as I took off after the sword with deadly speed and was about to catch it in midair when I felt something coming toward me.

"Severe leaf hurricane!" I ducked just in time to see the Anbu's kick go sailing over my head. His hand was about to close over the sword. Without thinking, I grabbed the sheath of the sword and yanked it flat to my chest as he grabbed the handle. I watched as in almost slow motion as the blade slid out of the sheath, narrowly avoiding my skin as it slicked between the valley of my breast cutting my shirt in two. i threw my head back to avoid having my chin being severed in two before a clone grabbed me and yanked me out of the way. We landed securely on the ground. For a moment we both just stared at the Anbu, breathing hard since he hadn't moved. In fact, he was breathing hard as well, before it turned into hyperventilation. what the hell? He then fell back in a faint, blood gushing out from under his mask.

"What the hell?!" I said, taking a step forward in disbelief. My clone cleared its voice. I shot it a questioning look before it pointed at my shirt and I looked down. I turned bright red when I realized that my shirt was cut through, revealing my breasts in their bra clad glory. There was a soft popping sound and the strap holding my bra together snapped, making me squeal in horror. At the same time the fallen Anbu groaned before sitting up. I frowned as I thought through my option. I could leave the training field to go get more cloths or I could get some that where already here. Like that guy's vest. I looked at my clone and it nodded in agreement.

"Hey you!" I said as I marched over to where the Anbu was. By now, I wasn't afraid that he would do anything, though I was still wary, and i knew this was a real test, which was the only reason i wasn't acting as wary as before. Besides he just seemed to faint and nosebleed whenever he saw… uh, the 'sisters.' He looked at me as he took off his mask, his expression surprised as I marched over to him, my arms covering my chest.

"Gimme your vest," I demanded. He blinked before struggling to his feet.

"I-I think not, lovely vision of feminine beauty. These are only given to the Anbu black ops," he said blushing as he stared at my arm covered breasts. My frown deepened and I looked at my clone, which was now by my side. I was going to get that vest one way or another, whether he wanted to give it to me or not, and I hated doing this, but I knew a major weakness of his.

"Fine," I snapped, looking annoyed as I formed a hand seal.

"You asked for it!" I said as he took a defensive stance his face serious.

"Transform." I muttered as my clone did the same. Poof! The smoke cleared to reveal me and my clone, except we where wearing tiny bikinis, our hair down and sexily mussed, my clone now looking like the old me, seeing as I knew he had a thing for that look.

"(please) Oh-ni-gai," we cooed, breaking up the Japanese word to make it sound sexy as we held each other in a suggestive way, making sure to press our breasts together and send him kisses and winks as our hands traveled one another. He was thrown back into a tree by the force of his nosebleed already passed out. _Wow_, I thought in surprise. I hadn't expected it to work that well. If I kept this up, he was going to end up anemic (not enough red blood cells.) Then mischief began to sink in and I smirked, suddenly feeling very powerful as a woman. it was pretty intoxicating to know that you could make guys pass out from just looking at you.

"Gotcha," I snickered as my clone ran forward and stripped him of his vest, and black turtleneck. Whoa, nice abs and arms, I thought before frowning. Maybe I should get the entire uniform. That way I could pose as an Anbu. An evil grin crossed my face. This was a test after all to see how ninja I could be. but first i needed something from the guy.

* * *

"Hey wake up," I said, nudging the passed-out and now almost naked man before me. He still had his speedo on. I hid a shudder. as hot as his body was, the flowery speedo pretty much killed any and all sexy factor.

"Wha-what? Was goin on?" he asked. I was currently transformed as Kakashi, his lazy look and everything in place. I sighed like Kakashi would and pulled out Icha Icha Paradise and started reading.

"Ma, ma. I can't believe you let her get the drop on you. You are an Anbu. To think you where beaten so easily," I lamented before shaking my head. The guy puffed up looking pissed

"And do you think that you would have done better, Kakashi my eternal rival, than I Might Gai, blue beast of the hidden leaf?! Besides, it was a trick of fate. My spring time of youth seems to erupt with fervor whenever I see the… uh lovely 'lotuses.'" He said, trailing off looking red in the face. I snorted as Kakashi would.

"Looks like Kumori-chan and her 'lovely lotuses' have decided to 'get even' with you." I said nonchalantly, making the him look down. The dude, (Gai I was guessing,) gaped at himself in horror.

"Ma! Why must fate be so cruel. I need to train more!" he lamented, looking even more red and flustered. I sighed.

"Why do you always say that?" I asked, going out on a limb. Shit, I cursed in my head. I could have just given myself away with something so ill thought out. stupid! stupid!

"Because training is the key to improvement. Not all of us can rely on natual born talent like you, my eternal rival." He grouse annoyance underlaying his embarrassment.

"Well, talent or not," I said nonchalantly, knowing that I was pushing it,"I could have done a better job than you. No doubt the Hokage will ask me to fight her next." I said lazily flipping a page in my fake book. Kakashi wouldn't have said something like that, but the more information I could gleam from this guy, the better. Gai seemed to puff up.

"Then it is a challenge! Remember our score, my rival! 50 wins and 49 losses! I doubt that you be able to beat her!" I waved my hand in a disinterested way.

"yeah, yeah. Go home and get dressed you ya? The Hokage will have your report when you are clothed again." I said as Gai stood up with a sigh, blushing slightly.

"Very well. Until we meet again, Kakashi, my eternal rival! The fountains of youth will erupt for you as well, despite being so cool, so I will wish you luck," he said before departing. I smirked, knowing that I had him out of the way for a good twenty minutes or so, and that I had enough information about him that I could act like him for a little bit. Time to see Kakashi and the Hokage.

* * *

I landed in front of Kakashi and the Hokage in a kneel, my head angled down my arm laid across my knee.

"Hokage-sama. The lovely lotus has been defeated." I said making sure my voice matched the guy's voice from earlier. I had a clone in the trees holding the transformation on my throat so I could speak that low, as well as the transformation on my hair and body, to make me look like Might Gai from all angles.

"Very well. What is your evaluation?" asked the Hokage.

"She is impressive for one with so little experience, but she needs more training! In fact, I would love to take the vision of feminine beauty under my tutelage! She is rather good at taijutsu and with my instruction, she would become a master with no rival!" I said enthusiastically as I gave a laugh like the dude and a thumbs up. He had spent enough time talking I could gleam a bit of what his personality was like. I just hoped that I could pull this off. I could tell from the way Kakashi was eyeing me, that he had a sneaking suspicion that I wasn't who I said so I decided now would be the time to distract him.

"Oih, Kakashi," I said, my tone serious.

"What?" he asked.

"How many jutsu's did you teacher her?" I asked. Kakashi blinked in surprise.

"What?!"

"She seemed to know how to activate explosive tags, climb trees using charka, shadow stealth technique, and several other basics. Did you teach her those?" I asked sounding serious. Kakashi blinked and looked down, as if in thought.

"We went over those, but she never showed and signs of progress." _in front of you_, i thought, thinking back on the practice i started doing on my own a few day into my lessons. "In fact, she couldn't even get the hand seals to work," said Kakashi, looking at me, his expression unreadable.

"So when's our next challenge going to be?" he asked casually. Shit. He was testing me, and the chances where very slim that I could pull this off.

"Eh, still sore over our last challenge, eh rival," I said, trying to sound cocky, saying whatever came to mind.

"50 wins and 49 losses, Haha!" I said as I stood up and shot him a thumbs up.

"Throw whatever challenge you can at me, Kakashi my eternal rival! The fountains of youth will triumph and I will be the victor once more!" I said enthusiastically. Kakashi seemed to think for a moment.

"How about rock paper scissors?" he asked.

"Very well! I will take you down!" I cried. Kakashi's gaze turned deadly.

"Wrong answer," he said. I barely dodged the blow aimed for my head before my clones drove Kakashi back with a swarm of kunai. Kakashi's eyes widened with shock.

"I'm surprised, Kumori-chan," he said as we took our stances of on the open feild.

"Any particular reason?" i asked trying to keep my grin tucked away. I couldn't hode the sparkling mischief in my eyes though as after a second i could see Kakashi's returned grin.

"I didn't expect you to drag me into the fight as well." i shrugged teasing him.

"Oh, you know me. I like to make life as troublesome for you as possible." He chucked before he got serious.

"Are you serious about this?" he asked. I shrugged.

"My other opponent was defeated with very underhanded means, that i doubt would work as well on you," i ssaid, being flattering. Kakashi's gaze just seemed to sharpen.

"What kind of underhanded means? Is h alright?" I grinned as i released the clone holding my transformation in place. poof. i transformed back to myself.

"He's fine. As for those, 'underhanded means,' do you remember what happened in chapter three of icha icha when Ryuu alked in on those girls?" I asked. Kakashi's body went stiff as his eyes widened.

"Oh you didn't!" i grinned pointing at the blood on Gai's vest.

"I did, and it worked like a charm." Kakashi sighed before making hand seals.

"Alright, its on." I grinned as i prepared for his attack. This was going to be interesting.

* * *

"Hokage-sama!" said Gai as he landed in front of the Hokage. I was watching them as my clone battled Kakashi. Boom! A series of paper bomb traps went off and Kakashi came flying out of the smoke only to be attacked by a barrage of kunai. Poof. a block of wood fell to the ground full of kunai. It was a substitution jutsu.

I watched with interest as i studied the fight. I enjoyed watching Kakashi fight. He was brilliant with both technique and his timing and he fact that he was sensually powerful didn't hurt. I had managed to slip out of the fight and get a clone to take my place when I got tired. The fighting was bad and I was wondering of I should drop the façade now and call it in.

"Got you," whispered a voice behind me. I screamed bloody murder as I was suddenly picked up and thrown over Kakashi's shoulder.

"You are really troublesome, you know that?" he said as he walked out of the brush, me still over his shoulder.

"P-put me down Kakashi!" I gasped as my blood started to go to my head.

"I will when you release the shadow clones and transformations," he said. I had already dropped the transformation on myself so he must have been talking about the transformations on the clones. When the fight had gotten a bit desperate, I had decided to see if making the clones look sexy would work on him, like it had on the Anbu, but it hadn't despite the fact that they where all in bikini's and provocative lingerie. I had even transformed them into every type of girl that i could think of, hoping that one would break his focus so i could transform them all in to his weak spot.

"Kumori, the transformation," he warned. When I huffed and didn't respond he smacked my on the rear, disturbing my concentration enough that I lost my hold on my Jutsus and they where released.

"K-Kakashi! Oh, you're going to pay for that," I sputtered now utterly furious but blazing red in the face.

"No! you have beat me once more, Kakashi my eternal rival," wailed Gai. "Now our score is 50-50." He looked so sad that I sighed and grudgingly decided to put him at ease. that and i didn't want to help Kakashi's score.

"It doesn't count because that was me talking to you earlier, not Kakashi," I grumbled as Kakashi set me down. I pouted irritably still blushing madly. i still couldn't believe he had smacked me on the ass. that was very uncharacteristic of Kakashi. I frowned as i thought over it. Maybe my Clone's had affected him more than he had been letting on. He was wearing a mask after all, making it easer for him than most.

"Tell me Kumori-chan, why are you wearing Gai's Anbu cloths?" asked Kakashi, sounding like he disapproved and didn't want to entirely know but was asking for the sake of curiosity. Gai turned bright red.

"Yes! I would like to know as well!" Gai said, looking mortified as I grinned.

"Weeeeeell, um… My shirt was ruined and I decided that I wanted Gai's vest so I uh, asked him for it and he said 'no' so I managed to knock him out with a powerful jutsu that I created." Gai turned red at the mention of this and looked away, a drop of blood quickly wiped from his nose. "I was just after the vest at first, but I got an idea of acting like a real ninja and decide to run with it." I said with an evil grin. Kakashi did not look amused.

"And that was to see how long you could pose as Gai, or to lure me or the Hokage into a battle?" he asked as the Hokage chuckled. I managed to look sheepish.

"Well how else am I going to learn?" I asked still smiling but serious as I shrugged. "I now know three more jutsus from our little fight and something called a severe leaf hurricane, all of which I will need to work on later." I said with a cheeky grin. Kakashi was unreadable but the Hokage appeared to be secretly pleased.

"Tell me, what was the jutsu you used to knock out Gai?" Asked the Hokage, starting to look unreadable, like he was hiding his thoughts; like earlier right before Kakashi attacked me. I frowned, uncertain as to what was going through his head at the moment.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because, Gai-san is a very formidable shinobi. I want to know how someone who supposedly has little to no training in the ninja arts managed to knock him out with a jutsu they just created," he said, his voice calm but detached. Ah, I got it. Now he was wondering of there was more to me then I had mentioned.

"Well, if you really must know, it was a shadow clone mixed with a transformation," I said nonchalantly. Kakashi sighed.

"How did you even learn the Shadow clone jutsu?" he asked, sounding exasperated. I pouted.

"I don't suppose you remember teaching me the hand signs for it?" I asked making him blink.

"I did?"

"Yeah. You didn't think I could do it so you taught me the hand signs to it, so I could practice. You also taught me the hand signs to several others. I've been working on them on my own," I said with a shrug.

"So how did you knock Gai out?" asked the Hokage. I almost shuddered when I noticed a slight cold glint in his eyes. I gave him a deadpan expression not wanting to go there despite my sometime teasing nature.

"Will you show us your jutsu?" Asked the Hokage, not letting it go.

"But… it's kind of… Ugh!" I don't want to!" I complained. the Hokage frowned. It was clear he wasn't letting this go. I could tell. I looked to Gai for help. He would tell the Hokage. Kakashi would. But all i saw was suppressed hope and a sensual glint in both their eyes. I snorted in ill humor, a twisted smile falling into place. so they both weren't going to say anything so i had to perform my jutsu in front of the Hokage and so they could see my super sexy jutsu.

"You know what? Fine! Whatever," I grumbled feeling irritable with all the guys there as I created a clone and performed the jutsu. This time I had my clone and myself wearing sexy lingerie that barely concealed a thing, a mixture of fishnets, ruffles, ribbons, lace and other thing.

"Oh, Natsu," I breathed, using the name of a character from Icha icha as I tugged softly on the ribbon that tied her bra together making sure that it wasn't enough to open it.

"Kumori," my clone breathed as she wrapped her arms around my neck and I began to trace circles on her waist as our breathing increase. We then drew closer, both moaning when out breasts touched. Thud. Thud. We turned to see the Hokage and Gai passed out on the ground and Kakashi staring at us with bug eyes, his face pale. I smirked.

"Oh. It looks like this isn't enough?" I murmured. He swallowed and made to look away but I moaned and we began to make out this time. Whoa. This was actually really hot.

K-Kumori-chan! St-stop!" he hissed through grit teeth. I broke away after a moment gasping for air. I turned to see Kakashi staring at me with both eyes; not the clone, but at me. I shivered when I saw raw lust burning in both of his mismatched eyes and tried to look unaffected as I released my jutsu going back to having my hair up and wearing Anbu clothing that was a bit too big for me. Kakashi's breathing was off. Oh crap, he wasn't one of those guys that passed out; he was one of the ones that became horny as hell. I frowned at him angrily trying to break him from the cloud of lust he was currently drifting though as he stared at me, though inside I was getting really nervous. Whoosh! I flinched when he appeared right in front of me with that inhuman speed he sometimes possessed. He leaned down to where his clothed lips where right next to my ear before speaking.

"Unless you're trying to seduce a man, never do that again. Not every man passes out, and they aren't all gentlemen like me," he murmured his nose trailing the skin of my neck, making me shiver and my body heat up.

"I-I under stand," I murmured, looking away in embarrassment. Kakashi leaned back, the passion in his eyes down to a low boil.

"Good. Now, I suggest we get the Hokage back to Hokage tower and Gai to the hospital. I believe he has lost enough blood for today." I nodded meekly before trailing after him. I now knew never to tease Kakashi about this stuff. Hopefully it would never slip my mind.

* * *

Kakashi ended up taking the Hokage and Gai back by himself. Before he left though, he told me to go to the memorial stone, saying that he had left something there and was wondering if i could go get it. He never said what it was, i thought irritably, but i had been too nervous after what had happened earlier with the whole sexy threat thing to question him about it and just said yes. Ugh, how annoying, i thought my irritation directed at myself and how weak i had acted. I just hadn't seen that coming though. I thought he would have blushed, maybe bled from the nose a little, but not almost jump me. Sheesh, after the past three weeks he had never once shown any sign of loosing his cool like that, not even when he accidentally walked in on me changing earlier this week. But then again i had screamed and thrown something at him, probably ruining any effect it might have created. i sighed and leaned against a wooden post in front of the memorial stone. I frowned when someone sighed as well and i looked around the post to find that there was a kid in an orange jump suit tied to it. he looked depressed and angry.

"Geez, what happened to you?" i asked, kneeling in front of the kid. he had bright yellow hair, blue eyes and whiskers. Interesting.

"My stupid team and my new sensei left me here, that's why! Rely on your team mates he says! look out for one another he says! then they all leave me here! I knew i couldn't trust anyone! that's why i do everything myself! Believe it!" he yelled. Geez this kid was loud.

"Whose your sensei?" i asked feeling curious.

"Kakashi Hatake," grumbled the kid. "Grrr, i'm going to get him back for what he did!" i snorted and started cutting his ropes.

"Your sensei actually sent me here to get you," i said, figuring that this is what he had left. if it wasn't i was going to smack him the next time i saw him. the kid gasp and looked at me with big dewy eyes, looking like he was about to cry.

"r-really?" he asked. i cautiously nodded before frowning.

"What, you really thought he was going to leave you here," i asked, feeling slightly concerned for the kid. He was acting like no one was ever kind to him.

"Y-yeah," he said before grinning happily. "But he didn't! i'm really happy now," he said with a goofy mischievous laughed before his stomach rumbled.

"Ugh," he groaned. It was about one o'clock. he must be starving.

"So, know any good places to eat in town?" i asked. "If you show me, then i'll treat you." the kid looked like he was going to burst from excitement.

"Really really?! you mean it lady/! you'll really treat me to a bowl of Ramen?!" he asked in a hyperactive manner. i snorted and pat his head the way Kakashi would pat mine.

"Yeah. but one bowl ok?"

"Yoshe! can i get any bowl i want?"

"Sure, but one bowl, ok?"

"Thanks Lady! Ichiraku ramen, here i come!" i laughed as he led the way, speaking excitedly the entire time.


	5. Chapter 5

AN:

Hey guys. first things first** this chapter has been redone**! I looked at this original chapter and thought to myself, _what the hell was i thinking?! this plot is all over the place and so one sided! ugh! not to mention over the top in so many ways, stating from this chapter on. Well i guess i need to change it. sigh, man what a drag._ so, i apologize and hope that you all can take it into your hearts to forgive my earlier lapse in judgement. :)

and again, thanks for the reviews. they make me so happy. ^_^ please **leave **me some **more reviews at** the **end of** this **chapter **and **i will make the next chapter super interesting.** *Wink* wink,* *suggestive grin*

**Warning! Slight lime and minor adult situation**

* * *

Ch. 5

"Hey," came Kakashi's laid back voice from the living room, making me pause as i came through the front door. It was evening, the sky tinted with the rich colors of dusk. i had only come back because it was getting late, but now that i was here i wanted to leave again.

"H-hey," i sputtered before uneasily heading to his bedroom and shutting the door, unable to look him in the face after what happened earlier.

Flashback

_I turned to see Kakashi staring at me with both eyes; not the clone, but at me. I shivered when I saw raw lust burning in both of his mismatched eyes and tried to look unaffected as I released my jutsu, going back to having my hair up and wearing Anbu clothing that was a bit too big for me. Kakashi's breathing was off. Oh crap, he wasn't one of those guys that passed out; he was one of the ones that became horny as hell. I frowned at him angrily trying to break him from the cloud of lust he was currently drifting though as he stared at me, though inside I was getting really nervous. Whoosh! I flinched when he appeared right in front of me with that inhuman speed he sometimes possessed. He leaned down to where his clothed lips where right next to my ear before speaking._

_"Unless you're trying to seduce a man, never do that again. Not every man passes out, and they aren't all gentlemen like me," he murmured his nose trailing the skin of my neck, making me shiver and my body heat up._

_"I-I under stand," I murmured, looking away in embarrassment. Kakashi leaned back, the passion in his eyes down to a low boil._

_"Good. Now, I suggest we get the Hokage back to Hokage tower and Gai to the hospital. I believe he has lost enough blood for today." I nodded meekly before trailing after him._

Flashback ends

After a moment i looked around my bedroom, suddenly feeling a little claustrophobic, the walls feeling like a prison, and not a shelter. there was no way i could stay home tonight like i usually did, after what had happened between Kakashi and i. i frowned before finally nodding, making up my mind. I would go spend the evening out.

* * *

I sighed as i went through my luggage until i found the pretty sequin dress i had; well it was more of a long shirt, but it looked awesome with black leggings. It had gone from a pretty gold color to a mixture of light blues and silvers after it had undergone it's change, like i had. i didn't mind the way it looked though. It went well with my hair and skin. I quickly applied some eye liner and brushed my hair, parting it to the side to me it look sexy and applied some gloss. I frowned as i examined myself in the mirror. I actually looked pretty hot, if i may say so. The extra softness that used to hang onto my limbs was now gone, making my arms look slim and graceful while my legs looked a mile long. After a moment i stopped admiring myself and picked out a pair of sparkly slip on's. they had been gold at one point as well but where now a light blue like my dress. Weird. I gave myself a good once over before turning toward the door, feeling satisfied that my appearance was presentable for a nice outing. It was time i went and explored Konoha's night life. I squeaked in terror when i opened the door to find Kakashi standing right there outside of it, his gaze expectant.

"Y-yes? can i help you?" i asked, trying to still my raging heartbeat. His one visible eye took in my outfit, from my long hair-do to the sparkly shoes i held in my hand. he frowned slightly.

"Sorry. i was just going to get Icha Icha so we could start reading."

"Umm... actually i was hoping to go out tonight," I said not looking him in the eye. Kakashi blinked and his face became unreadable.

"I ah, didn't know that you wanted to read today," i murmured, looking down before i remembered something.

"Oh, i picked up Naruto like you asked. He's a cool kid, though he's got too much energy," i said with a slight grin, though i was still tense. Kakashi still didn't speak and the awkwardness grew to where i couldn't stand it.

"Um... well, i guess i had better get going," i murmured before moving past Kakashi who didn't move.

"I'm sorry." he said suddenly. i paused and blinked before turning around.

"What?"

"I said, that i'm sorry." came Kakashi's reply. What i could see of his face was somber.

"For what?" i asked cautiously though i had an idea.

"For making you uncomfortable earlier at the test," he said before his stoic mask broke and he sighed looking troubled. "I just wanted to impress on you how dangerous what you where doing could be... for you. You are a very beautiful young woman and at times, you don't seem to understand that. I just don't want something... bad to happen, and i thought it better you hear this from me than be faced with a stranger's... **_'_intent**,'" he said. I could feel my body relaxing and i shyly peaked at him from under my bangs. so he had been acting like that to protect me, from himself and from others.

"Really?" i asked quietly. he nodded completely serious. I sighed before moving into the living room to sit on the couch.

"I'm sorry too. i shouldn't have gone so far. I thought you would pass out if i did the who lesbian make out thing but i uh... kind of got...distracted," i muttered. the memories of the make out where enough to send a blush to my ears.

"Seeing as guys just seem to faint in this world whenever they see something too perverse for them to handle i thought you would too." Kakashi gave me an eye smile as he sat next to me.

"I see. well, its all right. just never do that to me again," he warned as i grinned at him, starting to feel better. in fact i was comfortable around him again. It was kind of amazing how he could put me at ease at times.

"Alright." i agreed. with that i stood and started toward the door but Kakashi caught my hand.

"Wait, where are you going?" he asked sounding perplexed, as if he thought i would stay home after he apologized. i snorted in amusement and gripped his hand in return and tugged as if to help him off the couch. He complied and stood, what i could see of his face looking confused.

"Figures you wouldn't understand the idea of 'going out,'" i teased and Kakashi gave me a deadpan look.

"Oh, haha." he said, not sounding amused in the least, but i could hear the slightest hint in his voice that said he wasn't mad. i snicked as i continued to lead him by the hand to his room. when we go there i let him go and pointed to the bed before going through his closet, looking for something he could wear as he sat down on the mattress.

"What are you doing?" he asked as i picked out a black shirt and began looking for a nice pair of pants that would go with it.

"Kakashi?" I asked as i was flipping through a pair of beaten up looking Jounin pants. I should probably throw these out.

"Hmm?"

"When was the last time you went out and had fun?" i asked as i continued my search. "Truthfully," i added, looking my shoulder to send him a '_don't lie to me_' look.

"It doesn't matter, because i'm not going out tonight," he said as he stretched out on the bed and got comfortable before flipping the page in icha icha. I huffed.

"Come on, please?" i asked, adding a whiny pleading note to my voice.

"Nope."

"Pretty pretty please? with a cherry on top?" i asked now giving him puppy eyes. he looked away quickly and gave an eye smile.

"Go have fun. just don't do anything too reckless, and make sure you have a few concealed weapons under your cloths," he said before turning another page in his book. i stood there for a moment hoping that he would change his mind and sighed when i realized that he wasn't going to.

"Fine. see you later. Don't wait up," i said before heading out the front door out into the night, sighing in the crisp breeze.

* * *

Believe it or not, the Village Hidden in the leaves, or Konoha as it was called in Japanese had a thriving night life, especially in the ninja districts. It was noticeable where the ninja lived and the civilians lived though there was no rules of segregation. A lot of the ninja however where night people, as well as day folks. Civilians where more known to be day people so they tended to live apart for the most part.

It still took me a while to find the night clubs though, seeing as they where on the edge of town on the east side. I stopped a couple of times to sample some street food and ask for directions. It was well over midnight by the time i finally made it to the club. The place was packed, full of flashing lights and trance music. needless to say, i really liked it. It was called The Anbu Rave and there where countless people dressed up in anbu costumes, some just wearing the mask to cover their eyes as they went about in normal ninja cloths.

As i stepped in the door i just stood there for a moment, at the railing admiring the hypnotic crowd that danced below me, before moving out of the way to stand at the balcony. It was kind of hot up there, with the heat from all those bodies rising into the high ceiling of the club. i waved away a waiter who came to ask me if i wanted to place an order for a drink. I had found out with experience that alcohol and dancing never mixed well.

After a moment I began heading down the stairs till i came in view of the floor. It was noticeably cooler the further i descended into the club. They must have put the air conditioners on the bottom floor to keep the club from getting too hot. It was actually kind of chilly despite the fact that there where countless hot bodies grinding to the beat.

I noticed several heads turn to glance my way as one of the strobe lights hit me briefly, sending my sequined dress into a flurry of light before the strobe moved on. I continued on down the steps, pointedly ignoring the attention i was receiving before moving into the crowd, my eyes sliding shut as i began to move to the rhythm, my hips swaying, my arms raising themselves into the air as i moved. I don't know how long i could have been dancing, the music was so encompassing. I could have been dancing for hours or minutes. I couldn't tell. i could only tell that a deep sense of satisfaction was filling my spirit. People would occasionally brush against me but i paid them no mind as i undulated to the throbbing notes that shook the air, my eyes half lidded to take in the captivating sight of people dancing, or closed to enjoy the pounding beat that had taken over my being. It wasn't until i felt a muscular arm encircle my waist that i opened my eyes in alarm and looked over my shoulder at the intruder, my body tense.

My ears turned bright red as i took in the absurdly handsome face of the tall dark haired man behind me, who gave me a sexy smile, showing off canine teeth that where more pointed then they should be. His long spiky fringe hung down till it covered his left eye and part of his cheek, the onyx hair glinting in the light against his pale skin. It was what one would call emo boy hair, and it seemed to make him absurdly more handsome than he should have been. geez. i hoped they didn't have vampires in this world.

"hello there beautiful," the mystery man purred seductively in my ear, his voice playfully husky and seductive. I just smirked over my shoulder at him, trying to mask my startled and flustered reaction to his sudden proximity.

"Care to dance?" he murmured in my ear. I laughed sending him a coy grin though i was having to suppress the urge to shudder at the delicious sensation of him swaying provocatively behind me.

"And if i'm taken?" i asked as my eyebrow rose, curios about his answer. He just chuckled and i shivered when he trailed his nose along my neck, breathing deeply, his lips ghosting over the tender flesh. After a moment his other arm wrapped itself gently around my frame making me stiffen slightly.

"you're not. I can't smell the scent of a man on you," he murmured as he began to sway us to the beat, my body unconscionably relaxing though i was a bit startled by his sudden statement and bold advances. but there was something comforting about his hold, his warmth encompassing as it fought off the light chill the cool room and sweat upon my body had created. After a second i turned in his grasp to where i was facing him, my hands resting on his broad shoulders. i sent him an amused grin, my eyes twinkling darkly, before i leaned forward standing on my tip toes so i could speak in his ear.

"I never said i was taken by a man," i purred before pulling back and out of his grip, sending him a quick wink before moving on through the crowd, heading for the bar. His sudden proximity and the way he had held me had gotten me out of the mood to dance. Now, my body was telling me it would prefer another type of 'strenuous activity,' if you catch my drift. Damn hormones. Maybe a drink would calm me down a bit.

"What'll you be having Miss?" asked the bar tender as he moved to take my order, his eyes roving appreciatively over my form.

"I'll take some plum wine," i said as i pulled a few coins from my purse to pay.

"Put her drink on me," said a seductive husky voice behind me before the dark haired man from earlier sat beside me, sending me a sensual grin as he gave the bartender the money. I just raised an eyebrow at him in interest before shrugging, trying to be nonchalant, though in truth my arousal was starting to grow. Almost stiffened when i realized that he might be able to smell it. if he could smell that my scent was pure, why wouldn't he be able to smell my growing lust. My lower stomach clenched erotically at the embarrassing and ultimately eliciting idea. My cheeks turned bright red. why did he have to follow me? i had already told him that i wasn't available.

"Alright, but i warned you," i said jokingly with a small grin before accepting my drink, trying to keep the tremble out of my fingers. I would make sure to keep an eye on it in case he tried to slip anything in it. not that he would need to at this rate. He chuckled huskily before ordering a sake` for himself.

"Ah, i know. But it wouldn't hurt to keep the company of a beautiful lady and have a nice drink for a little while, now would it? of course unless your lady friend happens to be the possessive jealous type?" he teased, his gaze sensual making me grin and shake my head to hide the blush in my cheeks. it was clear that he didn't believe me when i said i was involved with another person, making me hope with withering hope that he couldn't tell how much i was starting to want him.

"Maybe," i teased back before rolling my eyes in forced amusement and taking a sip of my drink. he chuckled and did the same, his eyes on me as he tilted his head back to reveal the sensual line of his long pale throat, his Adams apple bobbing as he swallowed the intoxicating substance. I made myself look away from the mouth watering sight onto the dance floor. after a second i chuckled as i spotting an amusing sight and i shook my head.

"What?" he asked lightly with a grin when the cup left his lips. ah, what fine lips they where. They looked succulent and sweet, the slight gleam of sake on them before his tongue swiped over them, removing all traces of the liquor. I smiled and shook my head, trying to get him out of it.

"i just think its hilarious how Ibiki can clear people out of his way without even trying." i said as i nodded my head in the direction of the formidable man, who was currently surveying the entire room. after a moment he started off toward the center of the dance floor, a scowl on his face. He appeared to be arguing with a woman who was wearing nothing more than a fishnet suit and a skirt, her jacket tossed over her shoulder, a fan of light brown hair up in a pony tail. my companion chuckled when said woman began having a hissy fit and was thrown over Ibiki's shoulder like a kid as he marched out of the club.

"He must have tried to call Anko back on duty before she was done with her sake` again." he said nonchalantly, the sexy purr that had always been in his voice till now beginning to slip. In fact he sounded a little tired. I frowned. he sounded a little familiar for some reason.

"Have we met before," i asked suddenly as i frowned at him looking at his face intently this time. I hadn't ever seen a man like him before. i would have recognized such a handsome face in a second, but there was something about him that seemed familiar. He blinked in surprise, before sending me lazily sexy grin.

"It does feel like that, doesn't it?" he murmured, leaning slightly closer as he stared me in the eyes he gaze almost hypnotic. After a moment or two i frowned, taking another sip of my drink. I must have just been imagining it then. there was nothing in his mannerisms, voice, face or general appearance that suggested we had met before. Beside all the men i had met here so far had well defined muscular chests with abs that made me drool, so it wasn't something that really stood out that much. And it was clear that this man wasn't ashamed to show his.

In fact the front of his shirt was open, the black fabric contrasting nicely against his pale succulent skin. I had to keep from licking my lips as my eyes followed his yummy trail* down to the hem of his pants. The black fabric was fine and clung snugly to his hips, his legs long and well shaped. Mmm, nice ass, i thought biting my lower lip absentmindedly before taking another sip of my drink. I heard a deep chuckle start up and i raised and eye brow at the darkly handsome man beside me.

"What?" i asked. he just shook his head looking positively impish as he grinned at me, his eyes gleaming wickedly with mirth.

"you into women?" he mocked, his tone beyond amused, almost mocking. i shrugged.

"Hey, i can admire a fine specimen of male when i see it," i teased with a sexy grin, "Besides, you happen to have a very inviting anatomy, and you're not leaving much to imagination." i purred before shrugging.

"Its too bad." I muttered to myself with a stage sigh before i took another sip of my drink.

"Whats too bad?" he murmured as he leaned closer his visible eye unfathomably dark, desire in its charcoal depths. I smirked.

"Its too bad my partner would never allow a threesome," i murmured as i took his chin in my fingers, his lips so close to mine. he began to move forward but i pulled back with a small grin.

"That is too bad," he murmured, his voice tight with lust. I grinned and finished my the rest of what was left of my glass. I stood and walked behind him, about to leave, before i paused and turned to put my hands on the back of his shoulders.

"Thanks for the drink. later Handsome," i murmured in his ear before giving him a soft chaste kiss the on the cheek and left the club.

* * *

I groan and rolled over in my sleep, the air uncomfortably hot as bright sunshine hit me in the eye suddenly. The air that hissed past was oddly warm as well as it wafted past and i frowned in my sleep, not really enjoying the feel of my surrounding, my boy hot and sweaty. It wasn't like this when i usually woke up. the room was usually dark and cool. I cracked open an eye to fine light dancing through the top of the tree that was over head, the leaves lighting up and glowing with life as the sun hit them. I squinted for a moment, the heat making my brain move slow, until i sat up and looked around, last nights memories coming back. Wandering around konoha, the dance club, the dark sexy stranger, and my undeniable arousal afterwards.

I may have left the club, but that doesn't mean i went strait home either. i was too sexually frustrated and i needed to get rid of the pent up sexual energy that had been building since i had gotten to Konoha. Better to stay out in the open air and try to calm down then go to a home where a hot sexy ninja awaited. Besides, it was probably better this way. This way I wasn't as likely to act a pervert if i was out in the open, compared to if i was in the privacy of kakashi's apartment.

And truth be told, Its not like you could fulfill that... **'need**' while under constant observation or when you where sharing a house with someone with super senses. The only question was how and where. i mean, its not like i could take care of my ever increasing urges at the house. Kakashi would surely hear me moan or something equally embarrassing. He could even walk in on me, and i wasn't sure how he would react to that, or me for that matter. So i had decided not to go home for the night.

But its not like i could satisfy myself out in the open either, like in a deserted forest or something. Anbu would probably follow me out there if they saw me running off on my own, or i might come across the wrong type of man who was willing to use my body against my will. or maybe a mixture of the wrong type of Anbu following me out there. Any who, it just wasn't a wise idea, leaving me in an increasingly frustrated state of carnal need. I huffed in irritation as i glared at the gorgeous fields and puffy clouds that rolled before me.

"Yo," said a voice in my ear. I screamed bloody murder and fell from my sitting position onto my back when my arm was pulled out from under me, leaving me gasping as the silver haired man who was now currently sitting on my chest, regarded me with cool eyes.

"kakashi, what-"

"have fun?" he asked quietly, as he cut me off. I started to scowl at him.

"Yes. now get off my chest." he didn't budge, just continued to stare at me, his expression unreadable. I huffed.

"What?" I demanded. Kakashi regarded me for a moment more before hopping off me and regarding me carefully. I eyed him back with an irritated frown. what was wrong with him? when it became clear that he wasn't going to say anything, I huffed again and climbed to my feet, brushing myself off.

"Whatever," i muttered, heading toward the shade of the forest beside me. I stiffened when i felt the sudden speed with which kakashi's chakra was moving. whoosh. I had hit the ground before he could grab me, which was what i was guessing that he had been trying to do.

"Bloody hell kakashi, just spit it out already! Don't try to do any fancy ninja crap this early in the morning. I didn't sleep well, i'm hot and in no mood for it," I growled after i had flipped out of his reach and landed on my feet again.

"Do you realize how worried i was?" He suddenly hissed as he appeared behind me, making me flinch in surprise. i didn't even have time to react this time.

"But-"

"I have been looking everywhere for you, through ever inch of the village only to find you outside of it, out of safety's way. I'm surprised Anbu didn't pick you up," he growled as he formed hand seals quickly. Poof! the smoke cleared and i stumbled away, flabbergasted by kakashi's reaction. I had never heard him get so worked up over anything before. After a moment my jaw set into a hard line and without a word i moved past him angrily to the bathroom. he let me go in silence before he went to his bedroom, slamming the door as he went. personally i was angered even more by his reaction.

I began removing my cloths harshly as i turned on the water, intent on a long bath. all the more time for me to calm down.

As i let the lukewarm water run over me i shivered, the bloom of arousal starting up with the innocent touch of the water. My cheeks flushed and i glared at the wall in irritation. this was one of the roots of my anger i supposed. that and i was upset with how kakashi was acting. he was treating me like i was a foolish child. But i had had my reasons for not coming home in the first place, reasons i couldn't tell him about. I hadn't even realized that i had gone beyond the bounds of the village seeing as it extends into the forest itself._ Idiot man, _i hissed mentally as i scrubbed my body to get of the sweat and grime.

"Treating me like an idiot. I had my reasons," i muttered in the water as the water began to run through my hair. I sighed, calming down a little. i shivered as another bought of arousal trembled through my body and i bit my lower lip to conceal a soft moan. this couldn't keep going like this. something was bound to crack eventually and i wasn't sure what the consequences would yield.

Hesitantly i let my hand travel down my stomach before it was at my opening, and the bundle of nerves already sensitive and swollen. making sure i wouldn't make any vocal sounds i began to pleasure myself. my fingers rubbed the sensitive nub that was my pleasure as another finger slid to fill my passage, making me bite my lower lip as the tightening in my lower stomach started to become to much. A few moments later my head snapped back as my climax hit me, my inner muscles spasming around my finger, the bundle of nerves i had been stroking growing unbearably sensitive as ecstasy racked through my frame, soon followed by the bliss of afterglow that only orgasms and sex could bring. i sighed in satisfaction and lazily washed my fingers and lower body before cutting off the water and climbing out of the shower. Even by my standards i had climaxed quickly, i had been so restless lately.

I found Kakashi waiting for me outside the shower, his expression unreadable. He moved forward to where he could lean against the door frame, blocking off my only way out of the bathroom.

"So, what where your reasons, Ms. I'm-not-going-to-come-home-tonight?" he asked softly, his voice expressionless. After a moment he frowned and looked at my lower lip. I blushed, knowing that i had bitten it slightly during m climax to keep quiet, and that it must be slightly pink and swollen.

"...Its private. I didn't come home because i didn't want to make things awkward for reasons i can't tell you." i muttered, my lips pursed stubbornly though i was considerably calmer this time. Kakashi seemed to sense that and frowned. after a moment of observing me he sighed and moved aside, deciding to let me pass.

"I suppose you'll tell me when the time is right." he said carefully, now heading to the kitchen. I moved to the bedroom to get on some clean cloths.

"So," i said nonchalantly as i sat down at the table when my food was laid out as always, "whats on the agenda today?" I asked, trying to be more cheerful and call a truce in our grumpy behavior. he gave an eye smile that i immediately didn't trust.

"You're going to go meet the rest of my genin team."

To be continued...

* * *

**_*yummy trail_**- line of hair running from a man's belly button to his family jewels/goods/baby maker/sword/etc.

Another chapter finished! huzzah! anywho, review and i might make Kakashi's and Kumori's relationship... interesting. XD squee!

Please share my story!

thank you!

** HIT THIS BUTTON! XD**

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	6. Chapter 6

**AN: hey guy! Sorry it took so long. I've got AP exams and finals, so its been hard to really work on the story with everything thats been happening. That and i wasn't too pleased with chapter, but have worked on it so much that i finally caved, and just decided to post it anyway. ^w^ anyway, hope you guys enjoy, and that you for the reveiws. please keep em coming!**

******Disclaimer: i don't own the show Naruto or any of its characters, just Kumori. :) **

Ch. 6

I was about to pull out hair out in frustration. Naruto and Sasuke where so loud and annoying with their constant bickering, while Sakura was constantly turning into mush over Sasuke and acting harsh with Naruto. It was aggravating and i had only been around them for ten minutes. Knowing kakashi he probably wouldn't show up till an hour or two later. the thought almost made me shudder. with the boy's growing irritation with one another i could feel that their chakra's where flaring in a rather sickening way. I stood suddenly, drawing in the kids' attention briefly. it wasn't until i started walking away, that someone spoke up.

"Hey, Kumori-san right? where are you going? kakashi sensei told us to wait for him here," called the girl Sakura. I paused to look over my shoulder, my irritation clear.

"The boys are being obnoxious with their bickering." i pursed my lips as i made a snap decision.

"Why don't you come with me Sakura? Let them get it out of their system for a bit. Kakashi-sensei won't be here for another hour or so. Besides," i shot her a sudden grin, "You and i need to have a girl talk." her eyes lit up before she looked at Sasuke, hesitance in her eyes.

"Come on Sakura," i called insistently over my shoulder with another grin.

"i'll treat you to some dango." I called. the boys looked up with interest in their eyes. i could also see that i had Sakura's attention as well.

"Ok," she said as she jogged over to where i was and we began walking into town.

"Aw, i wanna cone to sis!" cried Naruto. sasuke pursed his lips and looked away with a 'hn,' though i could tell he wanted to come instead of wait in the hot sun bickering with a hyperactive knuckleheaded ninja.

i tsked and shook my head at the boys.

"Nope! girl talk for girls only. you guys should go ahead and bicker some more. go ahead and get it out your system for the day. all that you two are really going to say is the same old thing over and over, and waste time blabbering while you could two be training instead." i had to keep a strait face as both boys blinked in surprise and realization.

"I would suggest some target practice and practicing your hand seals and chakra control. you don't want to be worn out before our mission really starts, now do you?" i called over my shoulder. I looked down to see Sakura by my side trying to hide a grin of her own. when the guys where out of ear shot she spoke.

"That was pretty smart of you Kumori-san," she said with a mischievous grin. I grinned back just as impishly.

"And that's why you and i need to have a girl talk," i said before i steered us to the dango shop.

* * *

"Do you see the way those girls are acting around the man with the banana and the senbon in his mouth?" I pointed out said man subtly with a flick of my eyes to the pink haired kunoichi beside me. she nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, what about them?" she asked before she began licking some glaze off a dango. I grinned.

"Do you see the way their eyes seem to travel over his form? tell me about it." after a moment she blushed.

"They appear to be checking him out," she said sounding slightly embarrassed. I nodded.

"Good. now do you see the way that girl is pouting and that one is moving closer?" she nodded.

"Ok, now look around the room. what else do you see?" she frowned.

"More girls are frowning, and some of the guys too." she sounded confused. I grinned.

"why do you think that is?" I asked before taking a bite of a dango. Sakura was pretty sharp, especially if you led her learning experience. She frowned and examined the people for a few moments before speaking, her tone hesitant.

"It's because... the guys are jealous of the attention _he's_ getting from the girls and... those girls are jealous of the attention he's giving that girl?" i grinned and pat her head.

"Good. do you know why?" she shook her head. i leaned down so i could speak in her ear.

"He's handsome, the ladies want him, and he knows it. Sound familiar?" Sakura looked at me sharply as she blushed and nodded.

"And see how the guys are acting toward him now?"

"Um, yeah."

"Who does that remind you of? i'll give you a hint. he likes to wear the color orange and has a huge crush on you, which is why he hates a certain person very much." Sakura looked down with a frown as she bit her lower lip, looking uncertain.

"Does Naruto really have a crush on me? i thought he was just trying to make my life hard on purpose," she murmured. i sighed.

"It is one of the reasons Naruto has such a chip on his shoulder with Sasuke. It's also because he sees Sasuke as being popular with both guys and girl, well respected and skilled, all things he strives to gain. Naruto sees Sasuke as the ultimate person to overcome because if he can beat him, he will have everything he ever dreamed of, things that come so easily to Sasuke, well except perhaps the skill part. that came through hard work. but now do you get a bit of why Naruto acts the way he acts?" I asked as we strayed from our topic. Sakura pouted looking irritated.

"that may be so, but he's still super annoying! always yelling about being hokage or whatever even if he can't do a simple jutsu." i chuckled at that before leaning over to where i could talk in her ear.

"Do you know why its so hard for Naruto to do simple jutsus Sakura?" she frowned and shook her head.

"It's because he has more chakra than you, me or kakashi combined. the amount of chakra he has is level with that of a hokage, who has to train for years to gain and control that much chakra. The more chakra one has, the harder it is to control, and the moment Naruto learns how, he will start blowing everyone's mind." sakura's eyes widened before she frowned and looked at me, not looking convinced.

"Oh really? and what makes you say that Kumori-san?" she asked. I smirked.

"I'm very sensitive to chakra. I could feel it. Anyways back to the lesson at hand. hmm. where where we?" I asked as i frowned at my dango.

"You where saying something about that guy with the fan girls?" Sakura prompted brightly and i nodded distractedly as i took another bite.

"Ah, that's right. Anyway, he's what they call a lecher, womanizer, or playboy. It all means the same. that he likes to go from woman to woman." Sakura's eyes widened in surprised and i nodded to confirm the truth.

"Aw, you make it sound like such a bad thing," whined a man's voice in my ear before i felt someone's chin resting on my shoulder and a pair of arms wrap around my waist lightly from where i stood next to Sakura. The man that had been talking to the crowd of girls had vanished, and from the way Sakura gasped and stared at the person hanging off of me, i was guessing it was the man we where talking about. I grinned and sent him an alluring look over my shoulder before shrugging and taking a sensual bite out of my dango.

"Oh, i wouldn't say bad per say," i purred as i licked the dango glaze off my lower lip acting like i didn't care that a stranger was so close to me in an almost intimate position. In fact i was all but ignoring him. He chuckled, and i knew i had his attention.

"Then why where you teaching the little lady how to pick a womanizer out of a crowd?" he asked lightly. i could tell he was still grinning and wasn't mad. I chuckled.

"Because little Sakura here is in love, and i was going to teach her a few things about the personalities of men so she had more of a chance winning over the man she loves." I said. Sakura squealed in horror.

"How- what are you- when did you find out?!" she stuttered, her face turning red before curiosity lit up her eyes.

"Wait you can teach me how to make him love me?" she demanded, her expression intense. The man hanging off of me and i laughed before i pulled out of his grasp and picked sakura up in a light hug as i swung her around.

"No, i can't teach you how to _make_ him love you, but i can teach you how to get him to open up more, and get you a fighting chance that no other girl in or out of konoha will have." I said as i set her down. the man from earlier was watching us with a grin, his hands in his pockets.

"Oh, so he's popular or a looker then?" he teases. Sakura opened her mouth to start singing Sasuke's praises. I quickly put my hand over her mouth.

"That's the first thing we need to work on Sakura," i said with an amused grin. "Rule number one regarding men: don't praise them too much or their egos will explode, and they will think that they are too good for you." Sakura's eyes bugged an i nodded gravely.

"It turns them into monsters," i said my expression grim as i shuddered. The man laughed again.

"It's true little lady." i shot him a grin.

"I'm Kumori Kenpatsu. Nice to meet you by the way. " i said formally with a bow. He bowed back.

"I'm Genma Shiranui. Nice to meet you as well lovely lady." He looked over his shoulder breifly and grinned.

"Looks like my fan club is calling me back," he said with mock distress before sending us a wink and walking back into the dango shop.

"Nice to meet you Kumori-chan, Sakura-chan." we both grinned and waved as we left. After a moment, Sakura sent me a relieved look.

"I thought we where in trouble there for a moment Kumori-san," she said quietly. I pat her head.

"Me too. turns out that Genma's flirty nature worked to our advantage this time. However, always make sure to be careful. we won't be as sloppy with our observations next time, ok?" i said with a grin. she nodded before her face became troubled.

"Is it true that to much praise is bad for guys?" she murmured. i nodded, my face serious.

"Yup. In fact, if let a boy know how important he is to you, too often, he will stop valuing your love. If you keep your priorities right and make sure he's not number one or your list, then he will value your time and energy a lot more." she blinked her eyes tearing slightly.

"is that so?" she asked as she smiled sadly and quickly scrubbed her eyes. "I see." she murmured. After a moment of silent walking she turned to where she could look at me, curiosity in her still to bright eyes.

"Kumori-san, where did you learn all these things?" she asked. I nearly choked on my last dango. once i had finally cleared my air way sakura looked hesitant.

"umm, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she murmured. I smiled sadly at her.

"Oh, its ok." i sighed as i looked up at the sky briefly. "You see, my parent's relationship was really bad all while i was growing up. it let me see first hand a mistakes a woman could make when dealing with a man. its not just one sided though. My father made many mistakes as well that led to such a bad relationship between the two of them. He could have used a lot of guidance, like my mother could have. I guess i learned a lot from watching them all those years, and talking to my mom. she learned a lot of stuff too over time that she would later share with me. Even if it was too late for them." it was silent for a time after i was done speaking.

"I'm sorry Kumori-san," Sakura suddenly murmured. i looked down in surprise when i heard the tremor in her voice.

"Oh, sweet heart..." i murmured when i took in her tears. "Come here," I murmured as i gave her a hug. i was half tempted to pick her up but remembered that she was probably too old for that. After her tears eased a bit i wiped her eyes and grinned at her.

"Oh, don't worry sweet heart. that's not going to happen to you, Ok? Not all relationships are like that. it depends on you and who you choose to be your partner. that's why you and i had a girl talk, ok? so you don't get hurt like that." after a moment she gave me a watery smile and began to pull herself together.

"Right," she said before she gave a shaky laugh. i smiled at her again, and finished wiping up her tears.

"Better?" i asked softly. she nodded.

"Alright. lets head back to the guys. and remember what i said?" she nodded.

"Don't sing his praises and don't let him see how much i care." i nodded.

"And another thing," i said pausing as i pursed my lips. She turned toward me looking curious.

"What?" she questioned looking curious. I sighed.

"This is something that you will feel more comfortable with in time, but you need to act like your self, ok?" when her expression wavered, mine softened.

"He needs to care for you the way you are, or he isn't really in love with _you, _now is he?" after a moment she shook her head.

"No, he wouldn't be," she murmured, looking deep in thought. i grinned softly and pat her head.

"I know its a lot to process and apply, but don't be discouraged. It takes a bit of work every day, and each step is something to celebrate, ok?" i said before my grin turned teasing and i gave her a small push on the shoulder.

"Hey, i'll race you back," I teased. Sakura's eyes immediately lit up with the gleam of competition. After what looked like a moment of struggle she suddenly burst into speech.

"Cha! Alright! its on!" she burst before blushing. I chuckled before my grin turned wicked.

"GO!" i yelled, taking off as fast as i could, Sakura scrambling after me as fast as she could. i gave a whoop of glee as i leaped off the top of a house and landed on a power line.

* * *

5 Minutes later

I skidded to a stop on the other side of the bridge where Naruto and Sasuke lay quietly, looking worn out as they gasped for breath. I whooped and cheered as i jumped in the air shaking my fist in triumph.

"I win!" I yelled. The guys looked confused but too tired to ask. Sakura came in sight a few seconds later wheezing for air. she groaned when she saw me grinning like an idiot at her.

"Hehe, have fun?" i asked teasingly. she groaned and plopped down on the ground beside Naruto.

"I've never run so fast in my life," she groaned. I threw my head back and laughed. for some reason i felt pretty giddy. It was kind of odd, but considering how many odd things had happened lately, i didn't really pay it too much mind.

I turned when i felt kakashi's chakra suddenly appear on top of the bridge.

"About time!" i called. kakashi frowned as he took in the ragged appearance of his students.

"...what did you do to them?" he questioned, looking mystified as i grinned at him happily, trying not to bounce with pent up energy.

"Redirected their time and energy to more productive things," i said cheerfully as i beamed at him. after a minute of him staring at me like i had grown another head he finally sighed and shook his head.

"come on kids. we've got a ton of missions for us to complete today. Up, up!" he called clapping his hands, gesturing for them to get up. they all groaned before sitting up with grimaces.

"Can't we just do them tomorrow?" Naruto wined. Sasuke snorted.

"Obviously not dobe. they're missions. we don't get to decide that, our team leader does.

"Whatever teme. Hey, kakshi-sensei, since you're team leader, can't you postpone the missions?" Kakashi sighed.

"Well-"

"Of course not! come on kids, the day is young!" i cried before reaching down and hauling Naruto to his feet as he pouted. I did the same with Sasuke and Aakura before they could protest before starting to stretch.

"Ok! lets do this!" kakashi deadpanned before sighing and shaking his head.

* * *

3 hrs later

"Hey, that was fun," i called happily over my shoulder to the three tired genin that where trailing behind me, but ahead of kakashi.

"Mah, that was boring! they should give us better missions!" growled Naruto in frustration. Sakura scowled at the orange clad genin. I could tell she was thinking of the different fiasco's that Naruto had gotten himself into trying to outdo Sasuke today, as well as the trouble he had caused. But she wasn't saying anything for once. before she would have jumped at the chance to scowled him and punch him on the head. Sasuke sighed before piping up.

"As much as i hate agreeing with him, he's right. Kakashi, why are we stuck doing all these trivial tasks? we should be taking higher level missions." said the onyx eyes kid.

"It's true Kakashi," i piped in with a grin, "After all, we've got a lot of powerful people on our team. these tasks aren't going to challenge the kids enough to create growth. After all it is said that adversity is the climate in which people become the most accustom with themselves. Let's get a higher ranked mission. if anything happens, i'll back you up. ok?" i asked with a comforting grin as i pat Sasuke and Naruto on the head. Kakashi eyed me carefully for a moment before looking at the kids.

"Fine. we'll get a higher ranked mission." he conceded grudgingly before we entered the Hokage's tower, heading for the missions room. Once we where in there we turned over our latest assignment, which had been finding the fire lady's cat. i winced as the cat was smothered by the fluffy woman who cooed over the poor creature. I could tell that the kids behind me where feeling sympathy for the poor cat as well.

"Now then, the next mission for Kakashi's squad seven is..." said the hokage as he glossed over a peice of paper, smoke wafting from his pipe, "an errand to the neighboring town... to baby sit the Chief councilor's boy... helping dig for potatoes-" but he was cut off with a loud yell.

"Noooooo!" roared Naruto before he crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head with vigor. "NO! No Thank you! As for me, i wanna do an exciting mission! Give us something else!" The guy with a scar running across his nose stood up and slammed his hands on the table.

"You Idiot-" was all scar boy got out before i drowned him out with a fake laugh and with fake glee, grabbed Naruto up in a one armed head lock. Naruto gagged in shock before beginning to struggle.

"Oh don't mind him," i said as i gave a fake eye grin to the hokage and scar nose. I kept up the fake little laugh for a second more before turning to kakashi, the eye grin still in place.

"Would you prefer to do the honors with us here, or would you like for us to leave then come back?" i asked kakashi when i let Naruto out of the head lock, his coughs and gags drowning me out, though i knew kakashi could read my lips with ease. The silver haired man motioned for us to stay as Naruto got back his breath.

"you guys always trying to lecture me, but I'm not that little prankster you think i am! Hmph!" with that Naruto turned his back on the two of them, his face puffed up in a pout as i shot him an irritated look.

"Remind me to teach you something about manners kid," i growled as i grabbed his protruding cheeks to give them a threatening squeeze. Naruto squawked before i let him go. I could here the hokage chuckle softly.

"Okay! Fine!" he called making me look at him with surprised eyes.

"huh?" said Naruto as he raised his head. i could tell from the way Sasuke raised his that he was surprised as well.

"If you insist I'll have you do a C ranked mission... You will be a bodyguard for someone." the old man said.

"Really?! Who?! Who?! A feudal lord? A princess?" burst Naruto, looking super excited.

"Don't be so hasty. I'll introduce you now. could you please come in?" called the hokage. With that the door behind us opened and a drunk man in his forties came in.

"What is this? It's just a bunch of damn squirts!" he cried before his bleary eyes took in my form from where i stood beside Kakashi. After a moment his pink cheeks became even rosier and he grinned at me. I made a disgusted face.

"well, those three might not be ninja but i'm guessing you two are?" he said reffering to Kakshi and i.

"hi, nice to meet you dear," he said with a leer as he moved closer. "I'm Tazuna, the veteran bridge builder." after a moment when I edged closer to kakashi his expression soured.

"Well any way, You all will be risking life and limb in guarding me to the max until i return to my land and complete my bridge!" he stated with finality before taking another swig of his drink his eyes flickering back to me drawing another grossed out expression to my face. Eww.

I sighed. To think we finally got a good mission but we ended up with an old geezer who drank a lot and seem very interested with my... assets. How annoying.

* * *

"How annoying," i muttered as i tried to drown out the sound of Naruto yelling and the old man goading him as Kakashi kept Naruto from pouncing the old guy. After a while it went quiet again and we began to move at a faster speed. Sakura started talking to Tazuna but at the moment i wasn't paying attention. I could feel two foreign chakra's following us. After a moment i sent Kakshi a look and he fell back to where i was.

"Hey, kakashi," i murmured in english, "There are two people following us." he nodded in agreement.

"oh, really. hmm. Then i suppose they are going to try and ambush us." he said nonchalantly. I frowned.

"What are we going to do?" i asked.

"Nothing. more likely than not they are going to attack me first, seeing as i am the highest rank here. I'm going to let them think they go me, than i'm going to watch and see how you and the kids do against them." he said with an eye smile. I frowned.

"Are you sure it's wise?" he nodded.

"Yes. i need to know if i'm the target or if the target is Tazuna. I'll intervene if its needed. Hopefully i won't need to." after a moment of inner struggle i nodded.

"Alright. just don't let the kids get hurt, ok?" he gave me an eye smile.

"Ah Kumori, this is what ninja do. danger is the name of the game." he teased lightly. i sighed.

"I know. that's why i didn't want to be one to begin with," i murmured softly. Kakashi frowned at me softly.

"Yeah. I forgot." he murmured before giving me an eye grin and walked to assume his original spot next to Tazuna.

"It'll be fine," he called over his shoulder to me still in English. I gave a small smile though though to my discomfort i could feel the two chakra's moving ahead. Kakashi was right. they where setting up an ambush.

As we walked i felt them coming closer and closer until they where right where we where. It was an anxious and stressful experience, to know that you going toward your enemy not away. i frowned when i realized that their energy was coming from a puddle of water that lay on the side of the path. _Water ninjas then. so that's why Tazuna wanted a ninja escort._ I frowned with irritation. this wasn't in the job description. in fact, he was putting us in danger by not telling us what we where really up against when it was clear that we would find out eventually. After a moment the water puddle was behind us. I stiffened as i heard the slightest of movement behind us and leaped out of the way just as a serrated chair swung through the air where i had been a moment before. As i turned in mid flip to see what was happening my eyes widened and i almost landed wrong. Kakashi was wrapped in chain that the two ninja had connected to their arm. the chain was connect to one of their arms and they wielded the same weapon in a deadly combo.

"What?!" he cried before his shocked looking eye locked with mine. I screamed as the two ninja pulled the chain and his body was ripped apart. horror and grief erupted in my chest, enough to paralyze me for a moment before they appeared behind me.

"Number two," one of them said. I snarled as grief and rage turned my sight red and i grabbed the chain that they had just used to kill kakashi, flipping easily out of it as they tried to get it to wrap around me. I roared in furry and ripped the center of the bladed chain apart before grabbing it and using it to slam the two ninja into the ground, rocks and trees repeatedly as i swung them over my head, slamming them into whatever looked hard enough to break bone. Finally one of the chains had had enough and it snapped, sending one of the two ninjas flying through the air. He landed near Naruto who yelled and tried to stab him with a kunai blade. the disorientated ninja staggered out of the kid's way as he warded off Naruto's attacks.

Ching! The second chain finally broke and the ninja slammed into the ground. after a moment he forced himself to his feet, then took off running at Tazuna. I could see the other ninja starting to gain his focus back, his attacks on Naruto becoming more direct and lethal with each passing blow.

"Shadow clone jutsu," i hissed. Poof! three clones appeared. a clone grabbed me and launched me with chakra speed at Tazuna as the other two clones did the same thing, instead heading to Naruto's side as Sasuke rushed in front of Sakura to protect her from the coming ninja's attack. I hissed as i hoped i would make it in time.

From the look of things, I wouldn't.

To be continued...

* * *

**AN: Done! hurray! well, please review. I appreciate them more than you could know. In fact, i'm more likely to post sooner if i get reviews. they help me know what people like and what was their favorite part or if they didn't like something that happened. **

**Oh, and if you're confused, Kumori was asleep for when Naruto and everyone went to the land of waves. they got back by the time she woke up. **

******...** Please push this button

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	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Yo. how are you guys doing? well, hope you all like the new chapter. and I hope this helps explain Kumori's odd reaction last chapter when Kakashi 'died.' :3 aw, the drama! the mystery! the clues! any who, please read and review. :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Any more of the character except Kumori Kenpastu.**

* * *

_Flashback_

_As we walked I felt the two chakras from earlier coming closer and closer until they were right where we were. It was an anxious and stressful experience, to know that you going toward your enemy not away. I frowned when I realized that their energy was coming from a puddle of water that lay on the side of the path. Water ninjas then. So that's why Tazuna wanted a ninja escort. I frowned with irritation. This wasn't in the job description. In fact, he was putting us in danger by not telling us what we were really up against when it was clear that we would find out eventually. After a moment the water puddle was behind us. I stiffened as I heard the slightest of movement from behind and leaped out of the way just as a serrated chair swung through the air where I had been a moment before. As I turned in mid flip to see what was happening, my eyes widened and I almost landed wrong. Kakashi was wrapped in chain that the two ninja had connected to their arm. The chain was connecting to one of their arms and they wielded the same weapon in a deadly combo, chakra pumping through it to make it more deadly._

_"What?!" Kakashi cried before his shocked looking eye locked with mine. His image was suddenly replaced with another man's, whose eyes were filled with the same shocking dread. I blinked and Kakashi was back in place leaving me confused as I began to reach for a shuriken, intent to help him. I never got the chance to, as the two ninja pulled the chain and Kakashi body was ripped apart. Horror, terror and grief erupted in my chest, enough to paralyze me for a moment before the enemies appeared behind me._

_"Number two," one of them said. I snarled as grief and rage. How dare they kill him?! I grabbed the chain that they had just used to kill Kakashi, flipping easily out of it as they tried to get it to wrap around me. I roared in as I hardened the chakra in my hands and ripped the center of the bladed chain apart with chakra induced strength. Grabbing the two pieces of chain, I used it to slam the two ninja into the ground, rocks and trees repeatedly as I swung them over my head, smashing them into whatever looked hard enough to break bone. despite my grief, there was an underlying current of panic in me. without Kakashi, we where pretty much done for unless I could take out these two ninja before they got the chance to recover. Finally one of the chains had had enough and it snapped, sending one of the two ninjas flying through the air. He landed near Naruto who yelled and tried to stab him with a kunai blade. The disorientated ninja staggered out of the kid's way as he warded off Naruto's attacks._

_Ching! The second chain finally broke and the other ninja slammed into the ground as I tripped backwards at the sudden lack of weight from the chain. After a moment he forced himself to his feet, and then took off running at Tazuna as I scrambled to my feet. I could see the other ninja starting to gain his focus back, his attacks on Naruto becoming more direct and lethal with each passing blow. I couldn't let Tazuna died, but I couldn't let them get Naruto either. What to do?! My lip curled as it hit me, my hands already moving to make the seals._

_"Shadow clone jutsu," I hissed. Poof! Three clones appeared. A clone grabbed me and launched me with chakra powered speed at Tazuna as the other two clones did the same thing, instead heading to Naruto's side as Sasuke rushed in front of Sakura to protect her from the coming ninja's attack. I hissed as I hoped I would make it in time._

_From the look of things, I wouldn't._

Suddenly the ninja in front of me disappeared and I shrieked as I went flying head long into the kids and Tazuna. Groaning, I staggered to my feet before looking around wildly for our enemy. That was when I saw him and froze, my stomach dropping at the sight. It was Kakashi. He was just standing there nonchalantly with both ninjas in a headlock. A sigh of relief left my lips before I fell back on the people behind me despite several squawks of complaint that came from the kids and Tazuna. The way Kakashi had looked when he was wrapped up in those chains... he had looked like someone else for a split second and all I could process that his body had just been ripped apart. Despite the fact that he had said that he was going to be just fine and let them think he was dead, all I could process at that point in time was that another person I cared for was getting ripped apart before my eyes. there was no hesitation or other thought. there was just the deep down under standing that they where dead. it had transferred to the scene with Kakashi oddly enough, to the point that it was halfway through the battle that I realized that Kakashi could still be alive, though I sure wasn't counting on it. I blinked in shock before frowning. Wait a second... where had that come from? Those memories or that man getting ripped apart? After a moment they faded, leaving me disorientation and relieved that Kakashi hadn't suffered the same fate as the person in those fading recollections.

"Thank goodness," I muttered to myself as I lay my arm over my eyes to shield them from the noonday sun despite the fact someone was shoving my shoulder rather roughly from under me.

"Kumori-san, this isn't the time to conk out! There are enemy ninjas around!" cried Sakura from underneath me somewhere as the person kept shoved at my shoulder. I merely pointed in Kakashi's direction. The kids looked and I heard several exclamations of surprise.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

"You're alive?!"

"...Hn."

I got up as my clone released itself, letting me know that Naruto was ok, but had been knocked unconscious when my clone slammed into him. I immediately went and checked on him to make sure that he was ok. _It was, after all, my fault that he had been harmed,_ I thought to myself as Kakashi tied up the enemy ninjas and began to question Tazuna. I listened quietly as Kakashi stated that this was outside the scope of our mission.

"Beside, Naruto's been knocked out. We should go ahead and head back. He would just be a dead weight anyway until he woke up and we could be attacked again," stated Sakura. I stood up, hefting Naruto onto my back.

"No." everyone looked at me as I spoke and shifted Naruto's weight, "We need to keep to the mission. And don't worry about Naruto. I'll carry him until he wakes up. We'll be fine Kakashi. You've got me and the kids to back you up, remember?" I said with a strained grin. Kakashi examined me for a moment his expression unreadable as per usual though what I could see of his eye was grim.

"Kumori-chan-" he started but I shook my head at his firm authoritative tone.

"No. We signed on for this. And don't say we won't be able to do this mission." When he didn't say anything my temper started to rise. It seemed he wasn't budging on this. Well, I wasn't either

"Either we finish this mission together or I finish it on my own Kakashi," I stated firmly in English as I stared him in the eye. The kids shot a lot at each other as they frowned at us in uncertainty and confusion at our sudden change in dialect.

"You know I can't just let you go all by yourself. Beside you would need clearance to be-" I cut Kakashi off.

"I got clearance to leave the moment you accepted this mission as team leader." I could tell from the way he narrowed his eye that I had gotten him but he wasn't going to back down.

"That doesn't mean I won't drag you back then cancel the mission," he murmured his tone a bit more quiet than before. After a moment he sighed.

"But I don't want to have to go through all that, at the moment. I guess we'll just have to go on through with the mission." He said, saying the last sentence in Japanese so the kids and Tazuna could understand. I smirked as my eyes flickered to look at Tazuna and the kids.

"Hey you!" I called to Tazuna as I glared at him, making him jump a little.

"W-what?" he stuttered, his position slightly starting to cower under my heated gaze. I smirked.

"You own me, Kakashi and the kids. Big. Time." and with that I continued down the road with Naruto not waiting for the others, my expression turning grim. We had a long journey ahead of us and this was only the beginning.

* * *

Two days later

Kakashi had enough sense not to ask me about my over emotional reaction to his fake death, or even why I had been so adamant on us continuing the mission. If I was being honest with myself, I would just admit that I wanted to find out more about those memories; that I thought that through future battles I could overcome my amnesia and understand the nightmares that sometimes came and went over the years. They had always haunted me, and would sometime be triggered unexpectedly. But of course, I wasn't too honest about it and merely told myself I just wanted to watch over the old man until he was safely home, that's it, end of story. Nope, no ulterior motive here!

I frowned as my thoughts drifted towards the three kids that where now walking before me, chatting and arguing with vigor now Naruto was back on his feet. Sakura and Sasuke seemed to be more at ease on continuing our mission after the incident. Whether it was because they had been able to see me fight or Kakashi in action, well, I had no clue. But either way, the seemed content enough to continue without any fuss. As for Tazuna, he oddly enough didn't send me anymore creepy perverted looks, and tended to keep out of my and Kakashi's way. I frowned as I recalled the times we stopped to break for camp. he always got a bit flustered and would start acting odd, though I didn't give it too much thought. I didn't want to know the workings of a perverted old man's thoughts anyways. no sense in trying to understand now.

I pursed my lips as Naruto stumbled in front of me. I easily pushed him back into balance with a finger and he continued on with his argument as if nothing had happened. I grinned and rolled my eyes at the annoying kids antics. Naruto hadn't woken up till pretty recently, when we where on the boat and in wave country already, since we covered so much ground in two days. He still had me pretty worried though, making me think that we should have just gone back to Konoha while we had the chance. Sakura and I had just started insisting that we go to the hospital when Naruto woke up, hungry for ramen and slightly confused as to why he was in a boat. I sighed as the memory rolled past. By then Tazuna had told us about how he was building a bridge that would put the land of waves out of a crime tycoon's power, a powerful and dangerous man named Gato who was using his control of the sea to control Tazuna's home. this was why he was being targeted he had said. that the bridge was the one thing Gato truly feared.

I frowned as I thought back on the events that had filled the trip, my thoughts lingering on Tazuna's story and Kakashi's reaction. The man had blatantly asked us to stay on with him until the bridge he was building was finished, which went beyond the scope of the mission he had applied for. Our mission was to be his body guards until he got to his house, not till he finished the bridge. Not only that but the man had given us a sad sorry sob story on how he would be dead before he even got to the house, making sure to mention his grandson and daughter as well. To be truthful, which I usually wasn't with myself, I thought Kakashi would refuse, but he surprised me by agreeing to have us stay.

I was surprised that Kakashi could be so easily guilt tripped into something. I frowned as I tried to imagine it... Kakashi being guilt tripped into something...

"Nah," I murmured with a shake of my head, ruling guilt out. It probably wasn't really the guilt trip that got him to go along with Tazuna's request, seeing as Kakashi's a battle hardened ninja who has been through a lot. It was probably because Tazuna was putting his life on the line to help his people, and his home even if others weren't willing to back him up. It was something I was sure Kakashi himself had had to do before in the past. I sighed and let my head clear of my many thoughts, enjoying the crisp taste of cool morning air. The air here was heavy with moisture but not in a bad way. In fact, I rather enjoyed it after our hard travels, for it was very refreshing. We hadn't been afforded the luxury of stopping at inns or baths for that matter, and after two days, I was willing to jump in the lake beside us if it could wash away the dust and dirt that had started to accumulate on all of us. I snickered as I imagined pushing the kids in the lake, or Kakashi._ It would take a lot to catch him off guard though,_ I though with a pout before I snickered. I bet I could get him despite this. I after all was his room mate, and now had a few tricks up my sleeve. I would have to be blind not to pick up on a few of his weak points, like his love of long hot baths, of porn books or his utter hatred of spoilers.

I suddenly looked up at the tree line, my eyes unthinkingly training themselves on the man that was hiding in the shadows as the man's chakra suddenly flared up before going low again.

"Kakashi, there's a man watching us," I called in English, making to keep my voice down as I let my eyes wander away from the spot I had been staring at to look out at the lake that was beside us. After a moment I had to keep from cringing. We where next to water in a land where the ninja specialized in water Justus's. Just wonderful.

"Where is he?" asked Kakashi as he casually walked to where he was right beside me. I held my hand flat.

"Where I come from our clocks are circular. Starting here is one, and it goes all the way around up to twelve which ends here. The man is at eleven o clock." I murmured to Kakashi as I pointed out the direction of the man without actually making it apparent. He shrugged nonchalantly and I knew he was on it.

"Create a distraction," he murmured. I opened my mouth to ask him for ideas but I never got the chance.

I was suddenly flying through the air, the breath knocked out of me as I felt a sudden blow to my midsection. Splash! I had landed in the lake that we had been walking past. At first I started to surface until I notice how thick the water felt, and how much chakra was flowing through the top layer of it. That was definitely not normal. I created a shadow clone to swim up into the trap as I swam toward the shore from underwater, trying not to wince at the throbbing that was in my side. I might have a cracked rib from that. Hopefully not. I used the trees that were partially in the water for cover as I climbed out of the lake, and wiped the streaming liquid as best I could from my face. After a second the sound of fighting filled the air and I scooted around my tree to see what was going on. My eyes widened.

Kakashi was battling fiercely against a man with a mask of bandaged, a water village head band and a giant sword. I looked around to see the kids guarding Tazuna, their gaze shifting from the fight to the lake every few seconds. My gaze followed theirs and my eyes widened when I realized that my clone was suspended in a globe of water over the surface of the lake, a clone of the man using his hand to keep the jutsu in place. After a moment I frowned. No, it wasn't a clone. It was the actual man. The man Kakashi was fighting was the clone. I frowned even more as I examined the scene.

"Ha! She'll have drowned by the time you get the skills you need to defeat me!" taunted the bandaged man as he blocked a particularly vicious punch that Kakashi had aimed for him. I winced when the enemy landed a violent kick to Kakashi's midsection, sending him flying out into the lake like I had. My eyes widened in realization. He was going to trap Kakashi in the same jutsu he had trapped my clone in. I could already see him making the hand signs for another clone. My hands flew through the hand signs as I leaped out of the woods, my transformation already in place as I assumed the appearance of Kakashi, in hopes that the enemy would think that it had just been a clone that it had kicked out over the water. That way, the enemy wouldn't waste too much effort on trapping the real kakashi.

"Sensei!" cried Sakura in relief as I swiftly destroyed the clone before me by slicing through its neck. It began sloshing water but I didn't wait for it to die. I was already running at the man over the water as he finished making another clone. As I had hoped, instead of going after Kakashi, the clone moved to intercept me but I flipped over it with ease, my giant folding shuriken already out and ready. Whoosh! The enemies eyes widened in surprise before he leaped over the shuriken I had thrown at him. As I had wanted, the shuriken sliced into water prison until it struck my clone. My clone released, leaving the shuriken floating suspended in the liquid. I smirked and gripped the metal wire that I had connected to the shuriken as I flew through the hand signs.

"Raiton!" I snarled. Electricity blazed through the wire and into the shuriken. Before the enemy could pull his hand out of the water prison his body went stiff as electricity went roaring through his frame. After a second I added more power to the attack and his arms began to jerk around despite the fact he couldn't move, his face going red as he twitched, his eyes rolling in his head.

"Look out!" someone cried. My eyes widened as I saw the blade that was coming toward my head. It was the clone that I had dodged earlier. It hadn't released itself like I thought I would, when I began electrocuting the original enemy. Ching! The sound of metal on metal rang through the air as the real Kakashi suddenly appeared before me, a kunai in his hand as he staved off the giant blade before him. From the way the mask clung to his face I could tell he was smirking.

"Nice move, Kumori," he murmured as he took in the increasingly red looking enemy ninja. Whoosh! With a swiftness that I could barely follow Kakashi dispatched the clone. I upped the voltage even more until a sudden strangled scream broke from the man's mouth and his eyes rolled up in his head to where I could only see the whites of his eyes. My eyes narrowed as I stopped the jutsu. I could tell he man had already passed out. no need to kill him just yet. The man went limp instantly and collapsed in the water. Kakashi immediately dragged him out before the man could drown.

"Who is he?" I questioned as Kakashi took the man's pulse. I released my transformation jutsu and sighed as I tried to work out a cramp in my hand that had been caused by the jutsu.

"Is-is he dead?" asked Naruto as he came forward looking apprehensive.

"His name is Zabuza Momochi. He's a rouge ninja from the village hidden in the mist," murmured Kakashi as he went through Naruto's discarded pack until he found rope and chakra seals. He then began to tie the ninja's hands before moving to his feet.

"So I'm guessing that he's alive?" I questioned quietly. Kakashi nodded as Naruto poked at the fried ninja.

"There's another person in the trees watching us," I mouthed to Kakashi in English, my eyes flickering in the direction I felt the person, as Sakura and Sasuke came forward, their charge following a bit more slowly. Kakashi gave a slight nod to me before disappearing, not even waiting this time. There was strangled yell and the sound of metal hitting metal before it all went quiet. A moment later Kakashi appeared carrying a masked ninja with long hair. I frowned when I realized it was a kid.

"He's just knocked out," murmured Kakashi as he began to bind the kids' hands and feet. He then placed chakra seals on both the kid and Zabuza's bindings.

"There. They shouldn't be able to break out of that," said Kakashi with certainty. After a moment he staggered and I leaped to his side to catch him, pulling his arm over my shoulders so he could rest his weight on me.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

"Sensei!"

"Sorry," he muttered, his tone tired. "I haven't used my sharingan for a while, and I think I might have over done it a bit," he murmured. I grinned at him.

"Then I'm glad we got the job done and over with. Now, where to captain?" I asked before having to stifle a tired yawn. Truth be told I was pretty tired as well and my side where that bastard kicked me was killing me. I could tell that the flesh was swelling.

"Over there. That's my house," said Tazuna as he gestured to a little building that was a ways away. I groaned tiredly before sending Naruto a look.

"Could you please use shadow clones to get the prisoners there Naruto?" I griped. The hyperactive kid shot me a grin.

"Ok! Here I go!" with that there was a giant poof of smoke and several Naruto's appeared; they where loud and obnoxious but they quickly gathered up the two enemy ninja and we set about on our way.

"So..." said Kakashi conversationally. I looked at him sidelong my expression my expression slightly wary because of his tone. It was a tone he used when he was egging people for information. I had seen him use it on a few people before, and it tended to work like a charm, even if the person was initially unwilling to talk.

"yeeeeesss?" I asked slowly. After a moment of examining my slightly wary face he sighed. Good. No beating around the bush. He was just going to be blunt about it.

"How did you figure out that there was a water prison trap?" He asked. Hmm. Very blunt I see. After a moment I couldn't help but grin.

"I could see that there was chakra all over the top of the water, and I noticed it felt wrong to be water the closer I got to the surface." I said feeling a bit smug that I had picked up on something like that. Kakashi was silent for a moment. Ah, so he still had questions.

"Where did you learn how to do Raiton?" he asked, referring to the lightning styled jutsu I had used to electrocute the Zabuza man. I grimaced. Ah. So this is what had been bugging him. It always bugged him when I learned jutsu without him knowing, though he never said anything about it. I could tell though.

"I had been trying to copy your chidori for the last few days but I ended up electrocuting myself a couple of times when I first began to change my chakra into lightning. I guess you could say I tried to copy it and it kind of evolved when I made a few wrong hand signs. _I_ don't even know what kind of a Raiton that was," I murmured. After a moment Kakashi chuckled and shook his head, the tension in his arm leaving.

"Sometimes I think that you have the sharingan." he said his tone slightly teasing, slightly exasperated. He managed to pull a grin onto my tired face.

"And what's that? This sharingan that you keep mentioning?" I asked. After a moment it was Sasuke who spoke up, much to my surprise.

"The Sharingan is a special bloodline trait, or kekkeih genkai, that belongs to the Uchiha clan alone, which is my clan. I don't see how Kakashi even has it at all." He said, his dark eyes suspicious as he eyed Kakashi like he had never seen him before. After a moment his dark eyes flickered to mine. "It's an ocular jutsu that will allow you to copy any person's jutsu or to ensnare them in a genjutsu or illusion. It's a very powerful eye jutsu. If you had it Kumori-san, you would also be able to pick up on the movement of others and remember things that you have seen instantly if you're using the sharingan." I frowned as I began to digest the information my brow furrowing.

"Well, how do you know if someone has it?" I asked, unsure if there was a particular way to tell that someone did. I was guessing that there was, seeing as Sasuke said that only his family had the ability. After a moment of silence he spoke again.

"Kakashi has a sharingan eye. He can show you," he said, his tone growing a bit darker and Kakashi sent him a look. After a moment I frowned before I remembered the one time I had seen Kakashi without his forehead protector blocking his other eye.

"Wait, are you talking about that freaky red eye he's got with the three dots surrounding his pupil?" I asked as I stopped for a moment to look at Sasuke. When the kid nodded I frowned.

"Are you two related or something? Hey how come its in only one of your eyes? Is that normal Kakashi?" I asked. The silver haired Jounin sighed tiredly.

"Ma, ma, you guys pry too much. I'm really tired. Can't these questions wait till later?" after a moment I rolled my eyes and we started walking again. The house was right in front of us after all, and I was too tired to really grill his about it.

"Fine. But tell me tomorrow, k?" all I got was a grunt in reply and I rolled my eyes, knowing that he wouldn't talk.

"This is it," said Tazuna as we went across the pier that was his walkway until we finally found ourselves at his door. Kakashi stumbled over the doorway and unthinkingly grabbed my shirt with his loose hand, his fingers thoughtlessly digging into my side. I hissed in pain and my knees buckled at the sudden onslaught of pain that wracked through my ribs. Kakashi gripped my waist and with a groan picked me up, heading into the house. He set me down in a dining room chair before staggering into one as well, his breathing a bit rough. After a moment, he scooted his chair closer as the kids came in after us, looking concerned. Naruto's clones dumped the enemy ninjas on the ground as Sakura came over to my side.

"Where is it?" asked Kakashi as he grabbed the edge of my shirt.

"When he kicked me in the ribs. A few of them might be cracked. I don't know." I said before I hissed in pain as Kakashi raised my shirt enough to look at my midsection. Tazuna shooed the kids out of the kitchen and called for his daughter as he left. All the while, Kakashi tsked when he saw the bruised flesh and began to prod around with his fingers to check for broken bones. I grit my teeth and winced at the pain that his prodding was creating but didn't complain, know that it was so we could find out how badly I was injured. A moment later he grunted in confirmation of something and sat back in his chair with a sigh.

"You're right; you've got a few cracked ribs. Nothing a little chakra won't heal up quickly." He murmured exhaustion leaking into his voice and my face crumpled into a frown when I heard how tired he really was. Had he been putting on a brave face, the whole time? The thought worried me but before I had time to ponder it any further he leaned forward and lifted my shirt again. I began to squirm when his hand glowed green and an odd tickling sensation began under my skin.

"Don't move," he commanded tiredly. I stopped fidgeting, immediately concerned that Kakashi was going to 'over-do-it' again.

"Kakashi, you're too tired. Don't worry about it. I'll be-" he shushed me and sent me an irritated look. I swallowed and immediately quieted down at his sudden uncharacteristic temper. After a moment a really warm comfortable feeling began to settle over me, before I realized that it was the sensation of Kakashi's chakra as it worked to knit the bone back together. Now that I thought about it, he was always so warm physically. I guess it was just a Kakashi thing to have such a warm and comforting chakra, or maybe that was just me. His big calloused hand was warm too from where it lay on my skin. The dull resonating throb that had been going through my side was lessening quickly until it was gone all together.

"There," murmured the silver haired man, his tone so quiet I could scarcely hear it. My eyes widened when his eye slid shut and he began to tip over. I caught him and sat him upright as his head lolled to the side, my brow furrowing in a frown of concern and exasperation. I knew he had been pushing himself too hard. I grunted as I managed to get him to his feet though it was difficult even with chakra. he was a pretty tall guy and covered in muscle, which, mind you, was heavier than fat. needless to say I was dreading at climb to get him up a set of stairs.

"Tazuna! Where are our rooms?" I called as I made my way out of the kitchen. The older man poked his head around the corner.

"Over here," he called. I sighed in relief when I realized that it was on the ground floor.

"Thank you," I murmured as moved past him into the room. I frowned when I realized there where two beds laid out.

"Whose beds are these?" I asked as I began to ease Kakashi into a pallet.

"Both of yours" said the older man. I sent him a confused look.

"I don't understand." There was an awkward silence in which Tazuna cleared his throat and looked away pointedly.

"Um aren't you two… you know… together?" he asked as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. I frowned and he began to talk quickly, looking nervous and uncomfortable.

"I mean, you two do appear to be pretty close and you boss him around sometimes despite the fact that he's your senior. he listens to you too, which is one of the reasons that I thought that." he muttered. my eyebrow rose.

"One of the reasons?" I questioned. Tazuna blushed a little and I frowned in minor alarm.

"Well, you seemed to get very upset when we thought Kakashi was dead, and he seemed very angry and concerned when you where captured during the fight earlier," said Tazuna, leaving me to blink in surprise as I thought over what he had said. Did I really think of Kakashi romantically? I frowned. he was certainly closer to me than an average friend and I did care greatly for his safety. but I don't think that my feelings where quite on the romantic side. I enjoyed teasing him and flirting every now and then but it never went any further. I couldn't deny the fact that he was one gorgeous man though.

As for his feelings regarding me... well, I had no idea. he was generally unreadable and a good ninja, meaning that even if he did have feeling for me he would never let them dictate his judgment since his first priority was to keep an eye on me. that was probably the reason he had been upset, I thought with a shrug though I had the feeling I was lying to myself again. it had probably been because he had almost failed his mission of keeping me safe.

is that why he went to the extra effort and pushed himself so hard to heal your ribs? whispered a small voice in my mind. I quickly shook my head and pushed the thought away.

"No, we're not romantic. His is my roommate, instructor and bodyguard though." Tazuna blinked in surprise at my matter of fact tone and mu overall lack of embarrassment or emotion.

"Oh. I'm real sorry about this," he muttered as his cheeks flushed pink and he pointedly didn't meet my gaze as he gestured to the pallets on the floor. I just chuckled, feeling amused.

"It's alright. I don't mind sharing a room with him. He's a complete gentleman about this sort of thing anyway, and I am a bit worried about how much chakra he's used up. I probably should stay here with him," I said as I sat down with a sigh. Tazuna prompt left after making sure we had everything we needed. A bath sounded so nice but I was far too tired to go get one at the moment.

Frowning I looked at my feet as a cramp suddenly seized my leg. Gritting my teeth I began to work it out quickly until the knotted muscle relaxed and the pain eased. I jumped when I felt a sudden zap of electricity shoot up my back before a throbbing began to start in my skull, my eyes going wide in realization at the familiar sensation. My eyes widened a bit further when I realized what was happening. This is what I felt like last time right before I had begun my first transformation. I gasped at the pain that suddenly racked my body as I tried to get to my feet, only to collapse, a whimper being drawn out of my lips as I felt the energy in my body being pulled into my chest. This hadn't happened last time, but I knew deep down that when it finished gathering I would pass out because of pain. My arm suddenly began to crap and spasm, making panic begin to run rampant. No, this wasn't right at all. This hadn't happened last time. I yelped when a series of cramps began to flutter through my back and abdomen. I needed something in my mouth or I would bite my tongue off. I couldn't move though! After a moment of attempting to speak, the cramps let up enough me to speak. Or in this case yell for dear life, the panic spreading to my voice.

"S-SAKURA! N- AGH! NARUT-T-TO! SOMEONE!" I yelled, panic sending my mind into overdrive. The door burst open and Sasuke burst into the room, before he rushed to my side, his face dark with concern.

"What-"

"put my belt in my mouth, quick!" I demanded, terror fluttering through my throbbing heartbeat. He paused for a second before I yell again.

"Now Sasuke!" he quickly undid my leather belt and yanked it off. When he started putting it in my mouth, I gasped as the fist spasm rocked through my body, my head snapping back as my teeth snapped together, the taste of blood filling my mouth. After a moment I could tell that I had only nicked the tongue and bitten my cheek, not gone through it. Sasuke was yelling for someone to come as I withered on the ground in pain. As soon as the spasm began to ease I force my jaw apart. This time Sasuke shoved the leather in my mouth. He yelped when my jaw was clamped shut by another spasm, my tooth sinking into his finger before he yanked it free, hissing in pain as the taste of his blood filled my mouth.

"What's going on here?!" came Naruto's voice as he raced forward, his face filling my blurred line of vision as my body continued to shake violently.

"Hold her down! She's having seizures," hissed Sasuke as he forced the leather back into my mouth. He yelped when I accidently bit him again, this time only catching the edge of a finger. The taste of blood filled my mouth again and I groaned at the horrible metallic taste. It was like my night mares. The night mares, the night mares, the might mares. I whimpered as flashes of my dark dreams began to flint past, catches of voices and screams filling my head. Suddenly I found my self examining another scene. A dark road… the road of my compound… My aunt was lying there dead, next to her husband… I groaned as another wave of pain flashed through me. I had to find my parents, my big brother! I had to make sure they where alright. My house… it was dark too, like the rest of the compound. "Mom? Dad? Big brother?" I called as I rapidly made my way through the house. When I got to my parents room I froze as I took in the lifeless bodies of my mother and father. Then out of the shadows came my brother. I groaned as several more memories flashed past. It had been him! My own brother! I yelped as a shuriken cut my arm and I began to run. How could he? How could he?!

"HOW COULD HE?!" I yelled as I sat up suddenly, despite the fact that Sasuke, Sakura, Tazuna and Naruto where trying to hold me down. We all just sat there for a moment, all of us breathing hard as I stared without seeing before me, the pain in my chest lessening with every passing breath, a sense of power filling me that I hadn't felt before. Not that I cared or noticed the strange change in my chakra. All I could focus on was the other pain in my chest, the loss, the grief, for my loved ones. After a moment the pain began to flare into intense hate leaving me unable to move.

"I'm going to kill him," I hissed quietly to myself before I began to tremble with rage. I wanted his blood, to see the life leave his eyes. I wanted my parents to rest in peace. I wanted to avenge them. No, I needed to. There was no option.

"Who are you-" started Tazuna but I cut him off with a snarl.

"My brother! When I find him, I'm going to kill him for what he did!"

"You have a brother? Wait why? What did he-"

"Itachi… He murdered my entire clan," I snarled. Someone suddenly let go of me and I looked to see that Sasuke had jerked back like I had burned him, his expression completely shocked.

"Wh-what?" was all he could get out. His face was growing white and drawn. I grinned savagely.

"Yup. I'm going to rip him limb from limb. Then they can finally rest in peace," after a moment exhaustion hit me and I slumped sideways. Naruto caught me before lowering me onto my back. Everyone seemed to stare at me as my breathing began to slow, my eyes growing heavy. I wanted to sleep so bad.

"Hey, sis, your hair is turning black," murmured Naruto as he picked up a few of my long locks, to show their darkening tone. After a moment he leaned forward, his foxlike face scrunched up with confusion.

"Your turning as pale as the teme now too." he said with wonder as my slight tan began to fade, leaving my skin a pale cream color like Sasuke's. "Hey, look at her eyes." murmured Sakura as she leaned forward. With that I passed out.

* * *

**AN: Mwahahahaaaaa! What's happening to Kumori's eyes? And why does she now seem to possess some of Sasuke's memories? all in good time, my little grass hoppers! so make sure to review. they are my bread and butter... well, that and they let other people know of what a cool story this is! :) thanks **


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Hey there folks! My, I'm seeing a lot of you guys latly. Its making me all warm and fuzzy inside. Well, I hope you guys like it. Please review.**

**Warning! There is a partially nude scene in this chapter, so if you're too young for that stuff, look at the rating and keep it in mind for the rest of the story. You've been warned.**

Ch. 8

I woke to the feeling of something going through my hair gently, something large and warm. I sighed contently and rolled over to find a very warm pillow beside me, its surface firm but smooth. I nuzzled into it, enjoying the rich scent I smelt as something continued playing with my hair. After a moment I grabbed what had been messing with my hair when it began to tickle my cheek and nestled my nose into it for a moment before letting it go, satisfied that it wouldn't bother me anymore. I was already back in the land of dreams, when the hum of a deep chuckle sounded from under my ear, too far gone to realize that the laugh sounded vaguely familiar.

Light. Blinding light. I groaned and rolled over as my arm went over my head to block out the offending brightness. I sat up when someone chuckled.

"Say what?" I murmured sleepily as my bleary eyes looked around. Ugh. The light. Too much! Groaning I covered my head again, this time with a blanket that lay beside me. Someone touched my shoulder through the fabric and gave it a soft shake. I groaned again, feeling like crap. My head was pounding for some reason, like my sinuses where all stopped up or something, and my body was oddly sore and tender.

"Go away," I groaned when the shaking continued. After a moment, I felt someone kneeling beside me, making me realized that I was on a mattress.

"Kumori-chan. It's time to get up. You've slept too long as it is," murmured Kakashi's voice from beside me. I moaned again.

"Alright but cut out all the lights. They're too much." After a moment I heard wood sliding on wood.

"Ok, the lights are out," came Kakashi's voice from across the room. I carefully peaked out of my blanket to find that the room was indeed an agreeable degree of darkness.

"That's much better," I said with a yawn as I threw off the blanket that I had been hiding in. I blinked for a moment as I took in the room and the man that stood on the other side of it. My sight felt off for some reason and I felt a minor head ache coming on despite the throbbing that was already there. I groaned.

"I don't feel good," I moaned as Kakashi came forward to kneel in front of me, his masked face obviously concerned. He took my face in his hands as he examined me, gently brushing a few strands of hair out of my eyes.

"Kumori, what do you remember?" he asked. I frowned at the unusual question and shot him a questioning look.

"I remember that we are in wave country on a mission to protect Tazuna until the bridge is complete. I remember getting kicked in the ribs and sent flying into a lake, then the fight that followed." I said, feeling uneasy. Kakashi looked very grave.

"And?" he gently prompted.

"Ah, well, you healed me up and passed out, so I took you to your room. Then Tazuna was talking with me about why he put our pallets in the same room and then…" I trailed off as I frowned. What had happened after wards? All I could remember was flashes.

"And then?" he asked softly. I frowned and pulled away from him before standing, feeling confused.

"Something happened. Lots of pain. Blood." I murmured with a shudder. "That's all. I'm only getting flashes of everything else." Kakashi sighed and stood before pulling me into his arms. I blushed at the sudden contact, my heart starting to race for some unknown reason.

"Kakashi what-" he shushed me before burying his nose in my neck, taking deep breaths as my fast heart beat began to slow, his soothing presence over riding the fact that he was making me very uncomfortable. After a moment he sighed and pulled back.

"I think it's just about over," he murmured, making me frown in confusion.

"What's almost over?" I questioned, my unease growing despite Kakashi's presence. He sighed and began to pet my hair as he tucked my head under his chin, the warmth working once more to relax my body. I frowned, knowing that he was probably using this to his advantage, and was trying to clam me down before he spoke, which only served to agitate me in several ways. Since when had he discovered that he could sooth me so easily? And why did he feel the need to do so right now?

"Kumori, when you came here, you had a metamorphosis or transformation right afterwards, correct?" he said in English in case of eave dopers. I nodded before I pulled back my expression concerned and wary.

"Am I going through another one?" I asked quietly, my expression apprehensive. I wasn;t looking forward to it, that was for sure. My last one had been very painful. He chuckled.

"Actually, you just finished one. You shouldn't have any more to deal with after this. Ibiki warned me that it would be within the first two months however," he murmured. I nibbled my lower lip in apprehension as I took in what he had said. Why had the people who knew what was going to happen not told me this? I knew that they had probably told Kakashi not to tell me for some reason, meaning I would have to ask Ibiki himself if I wanted to know why. He would have the Clearance needed to make the decision himself without having to break any rules or go through any higher ups. That and Kakashi might not know the motive behind them not wanting to let me know about something so important regarding myself. I frowned, still in deep thought. For some reason they were acting like they didn't expect me to question why they hadn't told me, which was an odd idea. Why wouldn't I demand an explanation from them after the second change? Admittedly I might have been stressed out about its coming, but still, we could have been in the middle of battle when the Change started, making me vulnerable and putting me as well as my team mates at risk. Something wasn't adding up. I was shaken from my thoughts when Kakashi pulled back to look at my face. I struggled to pull myself out of my troubling thoughts before he could read my face, and decided I needed him to think I was concerned with something entirely unrelated to my true line of deliberation.

"Well? What do I look like now?" I demanded quietly, wanting to know, but wanting to distract him. After all, my appearance had been altered the first time, so I was slightly prepared for another drastic change. Kakashi paused and I looked up to see his one visible eye sparkling with mischief.

"I'm afraid I can't let you see a mirror until we get back to our village," he murmured in my ear making my body go stiff. He was going to fool with me while I already had so much to worry about?! I hissed in anger before I wound my arms around his waist, my grip steely and unyielding. After a second he let his arms rest around my waist softly despite my harsh grip.

"Either you give me a fucking mirror Kakashi or I will knee you so hard in the groin you'll be singing soprano for the rest of your childless life." I growled. To my surprise he just eye smiled at me.

"You can't threaten to destroy what you can't hit sweet heart," he mocked. I scoffed at his bluff.

"Oh really?" I taunted as I raised my knee slowly but firmly between his legs in warning. His legs locked on it just as the door to my room opened. A high pitched scream filled the air along with the sound of breaking china as Sakura ran away her face blazing red, her eyes wide and slightly horrified.

"Now look at what you've done! Ugh! Everyone really is going to think you and I are together now," I snapped as I pulled out of Kakashi grip to go marching down the hallway, all but stomping. Kakashi caught up with me, chuckling.

"You're the one that went to sleep in my room." He stated. I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever. For all I know I probably passed out in there. My last change was a complete bitch and made me pass out as well." I grumbled as I went to find Sakura and explain what had happened. I frowned at the odd weight that seemed to be on my head.

Grimacing I looked over my shoulder to see that my hair was now a glossy black, and even straighter than before. That and it went past my waist, and hung around the back of my thighs. Someone had tied the ends so that it wouldn't get tangled. I was immediately reminded of the pictures I had seen of Japanese princesses who had the super long hair. I grabbed the long silky sheets and held them up to the light, marveling at the texture and gloss. When the sunlight hit it I gasped at the dark blue highlights that glanced over the ebony tresses. My hand was now strikingly pale against the pitch black color of my hair and I frowned, curious about my new coloration.

"Sakura?" I called as I let the hair go, and continued my task of finding the runaway girl. I found Sasuke in front of her in the kitchen, trying to pry her hands away from her bright red face.

"What did you see Sakura?" demanded Sasuke. Sakura shook her head swiftly her cheeks growing even pinker.

"She saw me latched onto Kakashi, threatening to knee him in the nads if he didn't give me a mirror so I could see what I look like now." I said with a sigh as I moved past the two of them and into the kitchen.

"It must have appeared very intimate, despite its threatening nature, which is why Sakura is freaked out. Put an arm around her Sasuke, until she relaxes. I'll get her something to drink," I said calmly as I moved into the kitchen. After a moment I peaked around the corner to see Sasuke make Sakura sit down. After a minute he hesitantly put his arm over her shoulders and she peeked at him in surprise, her face bright pink. I grinned as I got her a glass of water.

"Here," I said as I came in and handed her the cup. She pulled her hands from her bright red face and took the glass, still not meeting my gaze.

"…um, Kumori-san? A-are you and Kakashi-sensei…?" she stuttered. I chuckled.

"Nope. Thought I do flirt and tease him at times, it's just in all good fun. It's not actually serious, Silly." I said before I ruffled her hair. She squawked in protest and began to straighten the locks as Sasuke smirked and removed his arm from around her shoulders. I grinned again at the way the two where interacting now. Sakura was so much more relaxed around Sasuke, and acted a lot more like herself, and I could tell that Sasuke didn't seem to mind her presence as much. But he was acting a bit odd around me for some reason, and kept sneaking glances at me.

"Hey, do you guys have a mirror somewhere?" I asked. Sakura nodded and got up, heading for her ninja travel pack that she had in her room. When she found what she was looking for she handed me a compact mirror. I flipped it open and gasped in surprise.

Luminous black eyes stared back in a pale face, though my cheeks where tinted with a little pink in the cheekbones. Thick, long black eyelashes framed my dewy black eyes. My brow line was almost perfect and my lips where a bit fuller and a pretty pink color. My jaw dropped.

"Oh my gosh!" I cried, still trying to take in how beautiful I looked now. "What happened?!" Sakura giggled.

"You look a little like Sasuke now," she teased. After a moment my eyes widened. I definitely had his coloration now, but there wasn't anything other than that in my features. I frowned.

"And why would you say that?" I asked quietly as I shut the compact and handed it back to Sakura. She blinked and looked away, looking a little uneasy.

"Well," she began awkwardly, "you kind of bit him a couple of times when he was trying to put your belt in your mouth so you wouldn't bite your tongue off. Afterwards you started spouting stuff that Sasuke later said where memories of his. The only thing we could think of was that somehow, Sasuke's blood effected your system." I froze, my body going tense.

"Was this while I was trans- ah, having seizures or something?" I asked as I tried to cover up my slip up. Sakura nodded. I stared at her numbly as the information began to sink in. so Sasuke's blood had entered my system during my transformation and it had somehow affected me enough to give me temporary memories. Oh. My. Gosh.

"How is that even possible," I murmured as I wandered out of her room in a dazed fashion. This changed so many things. That meant that during my transformations my body was vulnerable to the influences around it. What if I had another one? What would happen to me then? Did this mean that I would keep changing, and morphing until I had no true form to call my own? Would I never be able to be my own person again, without the influences of others? My stomach began to roil with what I believed to be anxiety, until it growled and I groaned as my need for food made its self present once more. To think, despite it all, I was ravenously hungry.

"Why am I so hungry?" I groaned, completely distracted from my earlier thoughts. I nearly jumped out of my skin when Kakashi came from behind and picked me up.

"You've been asleep for about a day and a half." He said casually as he carried me pouting into the kitchen.

"Almost two days? Ugh," I grumbled as I leaned my head on his shoulder. When we entered the dining room he set me down at the table. A moment later Sakura came in with a bowl of cool soup. My stomach growled loudly and I licked my lips as I stared intently at the bowl.

"Thank you for the food," I murmured hurriedly before I began eating. After a moment Kakashi took my bowl away from me, despite my utter indignation.

"Hey!"

"Eat slower, or you'll make yourself sick," he cautioned before he set the bowl down in front of me again. I snorted.

"Yes mother hen," I said sarcastically as he rolled his eye and Sakura tried to keep from giggling.

"Where are the prisoner's?" I asked after swallowing another mouthful of soup. Oh, it was so good. Kakashi sat back in his chair, looking lazy.

"We've imprisoned them in the shed. They are both under a very strong genjutsu." he said, making me nod. That way they were less likely to be able to formulate a proper escape plan or cause trouble. .

"Smart. Whose watching them?" I asked as I took another bite. Kakashi sent me an eye smile.

"Naruto." I paused mid-bite and sent him a questioning look.

"Why?" I asked. Just then Naruto came around the corner.

"Oh, that looks good! Is there any left? Can I have some? Huh? Huh?" I rolled my eyes as I understood. It was because Naruto could use shadow clones to watch the prisoners around the clock.

"Smart but lazy, Kakashi," I said with a grin as I finished the rest of my soup with a sigh of relief.

"So, what have you kids been up to the past few days?" I asked as I ruffled Naruto's hair. He just grinned at me.

"Well, I've been learning about chakra control with the others," said Sakura excitedly. I grinned.

"How'de you do?" I asked. Sakura beamed at me.

"I pretty much got it on the first go!" she said excitedly, looking very pleased. I grinned and held my hand up. After a second she blinked.

"Kumori-san… what are you doing?" she asked looking confused. I blinked.

"Do you not know how to give a high five?" I asked in confusion as I tilted my head to the side slightly. She shook her head and I sighed.

"I'll teach you guys later, all at once, ok?" I asked. Naruto and Sakura nodded.

"So what about you Naruto?" I asked.

"I've been given the super important duty of watching over the prisoners! Yeah! Believe it!" cried Naruto his mouth full of food. Scowling I grabbed his cheeks.

"What have told you about talking with your mouth full?" I growled as he squawked. When I let him go he swallowed hurriedly and moved a seat down the table. After a moment of watching him eat I nodded.

"Much better Naruto. Now, do you remember where your napkin is supposed to go?" grudgingly the blonde haired ninja put a napkin in his lap. I sent him a large smile before getting up.

"You got it kiddo." I said before leaning down and giving him a quick peck on the top of his head.

"Well, I'm going to go get a bath," I called over my shoulder. Kakashi cleared his throat, making me pause.

"…what?" after a second he sighed looking every were but me.

"Well?" I demanded.

"The masked kid destroyed the bath when we put him in there. It's why we put the prisoners under a genjutsu," he said haltingly, his tone uncomfortable.

"What?!" I yelled positively fuming. Kakashi sighed. He had known how badly I had wanted a bath. I had complained about it nearly the entire trip here.

"If you want a bath you're going to have to find a place outside. I don't think that the island has a bath house." I stared at him for a moment before I turned around and stomped back to my room, muttering curses under my breath all the way. Stupid kid, ruining the bathroom.

20 minutes later

I sighed happily as I sank into the hot spring that I had found. It had been on the other side of the island on the side of a small mountain, but the journey had totally been worth it. The water was pleasantly warm and refreshing. The afternoon light that filtered through the thick pine trees seemed to dance delicately through the richly scented air as I lazily washed my hair. Taking a deep breath and closing my eyes I went underwater, pulling my hair with me to make sure I got all the soap out. I had made sure to hold onto the ends to keep it from tangling and matting. When I surfaced I grabbed a cloth on the side of the spring so that I could wipe the water from my eyes so I could open them without getting any foreign moisture out of them. I froze when I felt the presence of someone come within my range. I growled and ducked even further into the water when my eyes opened. There was someone standing in the shadows.

"Show yourself, pervert!" I snarled as I reached for a kunai. After a moment Sakura's voice came from the brush.

"Kumori-san? Is that you?" I relaxed though I still had the kunai out in case of an imposter.

"Over here," I called. There was the sound of someone moving through the brush until Sakura was visible as she struggled to get out of a thicket.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. She shuffled from foot to foot.

"Well, Tsunami-san told me that there was a hot springs on this side of the island. I was going to ask you if you wanted to go but you had already left. I didn't realize you where here." She said as I sent her a grin.

"Afraid of peeping toms so you wanted company?" I teased. When she blushed I laughed.

"Come on, I'll scrub your back," I called as I relaxed into the water again. Soon Sakura joined me with a content sigh.

"It's so nice to get a bath," she sighed happily. I nodded.

"Yeah, this is the life. I love how there are hot springs and bath houses everywhere. It's very nice," I murmured as my tense muscles began to relax, and the soreness through my body started to ebb.

"How are you feeling Kumori-san?" asked Sakura quietly. I frowned at her subdued tone at turned to see her regarding me with somber eyes that where filled with concern.

"I'm feeling a lot better, thank you," I murmured as I thoughts back on what little I could remember of the event. I must have been in a great amount of pain for me to be unable to remember anything in particular. After a moment, I sighed, feeling a little at a loss as to what to say. So I didn't and we sat there in silence for a time until Sakura finally got up and reached for a bar of soap and a cloth. A few minutes later, I gestured for her to come to where I was as I reached for the cloth. I then began to scrub her back.

"So," I began before I grinned again. "Is it time for another girl talk?" I asked as she shifted her hair out of my way. She looked over her shoulder in surprise.

"Right now?" I nodded.

"What better time? If the guys walk in on us and over hear anything we have the perfect excuses to be indignant and punish them for whatever they over hear." I said. After a moment, Sakura giggled.

"I suppose you're right," I smirked.

"Of course I am," I said smugly, earning another giggle from Sakura. After a moment of looking at her fine pink hair I spoke.

"You need to put something sharp in your hair if you are going to have it down, Sakura." I said as I finished scrubbing her back. She took the cloth from me with a confused frown as I turned to allow her access to my back as I shifted my long locks over my shoulder.

"How come?" she asked as I felt the cloth begin to scrub my shoulders.

"Someone might grab you by your hair, thinking they can use it against you." I murmured as I fiddled with my own dark locks.

"It's a dirty move, but one any ninja would be willing to use, especially other women. I'm telling you to put something sharp in your hair so if they try to use your hair against you, it will only work to your advantage. It's either that or keep your hair up and hard to grab." I said. Sakura hummed in understanding as she kept at my back.

"So hair can be an advantage and disadvantage in battle?" she asked.

"Yes. You can hide things in your hair, or even use hair jutsus, but there are certain con's that you must be aware of and protect yourself from," I murmured softly as I gazed at my lengthily lock with a soft frown.

"Have you ever had that happen to you Kumori-san?" asked Sakura quietly, and I knew that she meant had I had anything bad happen to me because of my hairs length.

"Yes," I murmured quietly as my thoughts drifted to that far off time when I lived in another world.

"Someone used my hair to drag me across the floor, and I was powerless to get away." I turned to look at her, my eyes burning with anger.

"Ever since then I have kept my hair short. In fact, I might need some help cutting all this off," I said gesturing to my long locks. Sakura's eyes widened.

"B-but, it's so beautiful! You look like a princess! Oh, please don't cut it! I-I'll help you with it. Just don't…" I sighed and looked away quickly, my face irritated. Those big pleading eyes had already swayed me before I could look away. After a few minutes I growled in irritation.

"Fine, I'll keep it long. But the moment it gets to be a problem, I'm going to slice it all off," I snapped as Sakura beamed at me.

"Oh thank you!" she cried happily as she bounced in place excitedly. I sighed.

"I feel like we've just adopted some annoying new pet." I grumbled as she giggled, her eyes sparkling.

"So," I began as I lathered a rag with soap, "have you already started your period yet?" I asked. Sakura turned a little pink in the face but shook her head. I hummed in understanding.

"Has your mother already talked to you about it in detail? Like how to relieve pain and take care of the blood?" I asked. She tilted her head to the side looking slightly confused.

"She told me how to care for the blood but didn't mention anything about pain," she said, her expression becoming concerned.

"Don't worry. It shouldn't be too bad. I don't want you doing missions for your first few periods though, and I want you to tell me so I can talk to Kakashi and have you put on leave for a when it comes" I said. She nodded, looking a little nervous. I sighed as I finished scrubbing myself and began to sink into the water to get the soap off.

"You and I will have to train together some time," I said before I sighed at the pleasant sensation of the warm water. She nodded as I gazed up at the muted light that was filtering through the trees. The air was starting to cool slightly and it wouldn't be long before it was night.

"We should probably go. We don't want to be out here when it's dark," I murmured as I climbed out of the water and began to wring my long locks, my hands all but white against the ebony lengths. After a moment I shook it out and grabbed a towel. Sakura came out of the water and started to do the same with her hair before coming over to help me towel my hair as dry as possible. We then got dress and I started to brush my hair, my face growing irritated at the tangles. Sakura went through her bag until she found a large bottle and came forward.

"Here, use this," she said as she handed it to me. I frowned at the Kanji that covered the side.

"What is it?" I asked as I opened it and sniffed. A rich perfume met my nose and I sneezed. Sakura giggled.

"Its perfumed oil. I don't usually use it but it's for if my hair gets tangled on a trip. You can have it," she said as she took a little oil out and began to work it into the lower portions of the hair. I helped her until the treads where even silkier. After a moment Sakura grinned.

"Watch this," she said as she braided a portion of my hair and tied it. When she let it go, the tied began to slip off and then the braid came undone a few moments later. My eyebrows shot up.

"Does this mean what I think it means?" I asked incredulously. Sakura grinned smugly.

"Yup. Despite how long your hair is, it won't tangle or anything," she said. I grinned at her before my attention was drawn to our surroundings at the sound of a bird flying overhead. I frowned at our lack of light.

"We should probably get going," I murmured as I retrieved my bag. Sakura did the same and I took her hand. With that we set out through the dimming woods, heading southwest, despite the fact Tazuna's house was directly south. We would get out of the forest fast though, and our visibility would go up greatly, something we would need to be able to get home without problems. As we moved through the trees the light began to fade even further until we were moving through the dark.

"We should take to the trees," I murmured as I let go of her hand. I then leaped into the treetops and she soon followed.

"Do you see any light?" I asked quietly. After a moment of us both scanning the darkness, Sakura pulled on my sleeve. I looked to see what she was pointing at and caught a faint glimmer of light through the trees a distance away.

"Go quietly and don't approach," I murmured to her. She nodded and we started forward, making sure not to let our presence's be noticed. Soon we reached the edge of a clearing. It was filled with the light of a campfire and the sound of men. My eyes narrowed when I realized that most of the people where armed men that had a seedy air about them. Hired mercenaries and thugs. After a moment of listening to the rambunctious laughter and general talk of the men I frowned, knowing what they were here for. They were here for this Gato man, since Zabuza hadn't shown up again.

"Sakura, I want you to take this back to Kakashi, and tell him what you saw," I said as examined the now present stars in the sky. After being able to determine the exact direction we had been traveling after we had left the hot springs, I drew a quick map and wrote a message to Kakashi in English.

"Kumori-san, I don't want to leave you here by yourself," she murmured silently, "Besides, I can't make my way through the dark without you. I don't know where we are," she said, but I could tell it was an excuse. I created a shadow clone. Sakura's eyes widened when my clone covered her mouth before taking off with her and the note through the dark. I then turned my attention back to the men down below, my face furrowing in a frown.

After another several minutes of observing them I was able to learn that the where planning to attack the village in the next three days, and kill everyone as a warning to the other islands not to try to interfere with Gato and his men. Down there were well over a hundred men who looked well trained in the art of killing, among other unsavory acts. What could I do that would slow them down? I frowned in distaste at the thought of killing them in their sleep or killing them all with poison in their food. Like I had told Kakashi, I really didn't want to kill people, which already put me at a disadvantage as a ninja. But that didn't mean I could let the innocent people of the village died.

I wanted to scare the thugs off somehow, seeing as it would probably work the best and over a long period of time. It wouldn't be a band aid on an even greater problem. Killing hired thugs would just make Gato hire more. But what should I do? What where these hardened men afraid of, if anything? How could I run them off? I sighed in frustration, running my hand through my hair in my annoyance. Even in the muted light, my pale skin glowed deathly white in the dark and I quickly hid my hand to make sure that no one saw.

"Haha, I win this game!" called a rambunctious voice through the thong of noise before the voice faded. After a moment another voice began to drift to my ears, making me freeze in surprise. I knew that voice from somewhere. It was a deep masculine purr that was as seductive in its tones as it was predatory. After a moment of straining I could finally make out what it was saying.

"…don't know how he does it. Don't think it's his luck," said the familiar voice as I scanned the crowd for the owner. Where was he?

"Haha, you're a superstitious one aren't you?"

"Not particularly. Though if I had known that we would be going to this island, out of all of them, I would not have come," said the seductive melodic tones of the familiar voice. I frowned, still trying to pin point them.

"Oh, here we go. Another ghost story isn't it?" grumbled the other man. A deep chuckle filled the air and I froze, knowing exactly who it was now. There was no other person who sounded like that when they laughed. Kakashi?! I though incredulously. When had he found out about the band of thugs stashed away on the mountains?! Why hadn't he told me?! Irritation began to well in my chest before I realized that a man had stood up and was speaking loudly.

"Oih, you louts! Kuroko-kun is gonna tell us another ghost story to liven the night." Some people made signs to ward off evil while others shifted uncomfortably or laughed brashly. Over all though, the crowd of men began to quiet down and people began to gather around the center fire to hear the story.

"Another one, Kuroko?" came a deep gravelly voice of the man who I assumed was in charge as he moved to sit by the fire. I craned my neck to see if I could get a glimpse of Kakashi, but to my annoyance several people where blocking my line of sight. I carefully moved forward slightly through the trees to get a better spot to see and listen. I wanted to hear what he was going to tell them.

"Once, four hundred years ago, there was a very beautiful queen who was wed to the Lord that ruled these islands. At that time though, these where not islands, but a single piece of land. Well, the queen wanted a daughter very much, so much so, that she began to grow pale with sadness and her health began to wane. This troubled the Lord very much but despite all their efforts they could conceive no child. The Lord called to him every medicine man and wise woman in the land. When they could not help him, he resorted to calling upon sorcerers and witches. Finally when the queen was on her death bed, a wizened old witch approached the castle.'

"Great Lord, I might be able to spare your Queen and grant you both a child." Said the old maid. The lord agreed immediately and the witch came in and saved the queen.

"What do you demand as payment?" asked the Lord who was greatly relieved to see that his queen was once again healthy and rosy cheeked. The wizen old witch then drew from her sleeve a newborn child. The babe had silken hair the color of ebony. When the light hit it, it turned the color of raven's wings. The babe was a very fair child, with two rose bud pink lips, her cheeks rosy and pink. When the witch set the child in the Lords arms the child opened its eyes and the Lord found himself staring into the most beautiful black eyes he had ever seen.

"Raise her as your own daughter. Cherish her. But be warned, you must let her go when a blazing warrior comes to this land. Until then, she is yours. Do so and great blessings will fall upon your house. If you don't a great calamity will be laid upon your lands, and you will lose your precious child to a great and powerful curse." Came the rich tones of the familiar voice. I frowned as I tried to identify where I had heard that voice being used. I was sure the speaker was Kakashi from the laugh of earlier, but when he spoke it didn't sound like him. It sounded like someone else I knew, but I just couldn't place it. I frowned in concentration as I leaned forward a bit more.

"Well, the Lord and his Queen raised the child as their own, delighting in her as she delighted in them. They raised her to be a very fine young Lady, and soon, the young princess had many suitors calling upon her. To her parent's relief, she turned them all away, finding not one of them strong enough, nor smart enough nor handsome enough for her tastes. Then the tides of war came from the continent as a great power began advancing on the Lord's lands. The enemy did not come all at once though, but sent warriors to scout the land. That is how the War Lord of the invading army ended up meeting the princess. He was at a spring near the Lord's palace when he saw the princess for the first time. From the moment he saw her, his heart was her prisoner, and he fell to his feet before her. She jumped in surprise at the sudden appearance of the man before her.

"Who are you?" she demanded he face filled with fear at the stranger's appearance and his foreign cloths.

"I am a man in love with a celestial maiden. Tell me, are you not an angel or some other divine being? Your beauty is so haunting." The princess flushed and hid her face behind her fan at the general's wooing words.

"Nay. I am merely a mortal, nothing more," she murmured.

"Surely you jest. Who else but a celestial maiden or some other divine being could have such perfections?" murmured the general as he took he hand and gently caressed it. As the princess stared into the War Lord's eyes she could not help but fall in love with him in turn.

"Do you seek to woo me stranger?" she asked as she drew back her hand and smiled at him. The War Lord's breath was caught at the stunning sight of her smile.

"Yes, lovely one." At this she nodded.

"You must complete the three tasks that my father and mother have set out before you can ask for my hand," she said. With that she told the War Lord of the tasks and he left.

A fortnight later an envoy from the War Lord appeared the Lord and his Queen's castle. When the Lord called the envoy in the servant kneeled before the Lord and his Lady, and spoke.

"Greetings from the Lord Arashikage, son of Kazekuro the great, and heir to the western lands. He presents these three gifts, in accordance to the Lord's wishes." Said the messenger as five servants came forth with three large chests. At the messenger's order the chests where opened revealing what was inside. In the first chest was the head of a demon that had been plaguing the Lord's flat lands. The demon had been ingeniously intelligent and always outwitted his foe into letting him eat them. The second chest opened to reveal the head of another demon. This demon had been using his great strength to throw boulders onto unsuspecting travelers and eat them. And inside the final chest were siren pearls. It is said only the most handsome, pure hearted and brave of men can retrieve them. After the Lord beheld these gifts he spoke, knowing now why the servant had been sent.

"Did Lord Arashikage gather these gifts himself?" asked the Lord.

"Yes, your Excellency," said the messenger.

"Does Lord Arashikage wish to woo my daughter?" asked the Lord.

"Yes, your Excellency," said the messenger again.

"Tell your Lord that I wish to speak with him on the subject in person," said the Lord, hoping to buy some time to see if he could slip out of handing his daughter over to a foreign lord.

"He is here," said the messenger as he stood, and threw back his travel cloak to reveal his lavished robes. It was Lord Arashikage, the War Lord that the princess had met before.

"Why did you not announce yourself properly? I would have welcomed you as my equal," stated the princesses' father as he stood and offered the other Lord his respects. With this the two men talked. When the War Lord realized that the princesses' father had no intention of letting him marry the princess, despite completing the impossible tasks, he grew very angry. He however was not the only one.

The Gods of the Land where disgusted with the Lord for going back on his solemn word, and angered with the threat of war and destruction the War Lord threatened to bring to the God's lands. For this the Gods cursed the princess, so that when she passed into the other world, she would not be able to find peace, and would roam the place where she had met her lover the War Lord. They also cursed the War Lord for the destructions to their lands by calling the sea to swallow his great armies, only leaving islands for the native villagers so that they might live. And upon the Lord, they sent bad luck to follow him all his days, leaving his a toothless old beggar for having no honor.

It's said that the princess still roams this island to this day, mournfully awaiting her lover and cursing any who threaten her land." Kakashi murmured, the sound of his voice and the crackle of the fire the only thing that could be heard throughout the camp. I watched in surprise as a shudder seemed to run through the men, even the brash ones acting uneasy. With that a man stood with a yawn and my heart jumped in my throat. He had a spiky black fringe that hung over his left eye, his skin pale and succulent even in the bad lighting. I could see through the front of his shirt the rippling muscles that lined his torso. Then he turned and I swallowed unconsciously as I took in the devastatingly handsome face. It was the man from the club! What was he doing here? After a second my eyes snapped to his bare forearm and my eyes widened as I took in the Anbu tattoo. Understanding began to dawn on me. It wasn't just the man I had met at the club. It was Kakashi.

**AN: Mwahahaa! Hope you guys liked it. Please review.**


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